I Don't Speak the Language

I Don't Speak the Language
Studio album by Matthew Wilder
Released	October 13, 1983 [1]
Recorded	1983, Conway Studios (Hollywood) and Sound Castle (Los Angeles).
Genre	New wave, synth-pop
Length	34:22
Label	Private-I, Epic
Producer	Peter Bunetta, Rick Chudacoff, Bill Elliot (for RIPE Productions)
Matthew Wilder chronology
I Don't Speak the Language (1983) Bouncin' Off the Walls (1984)

I Don't Speak the Language is the debut studio album by American musician Matthew Wilder, released in 1983 on Private-I and Epic Records. It spawned Wilder's signature hit "Break My Stride".

Track listing

1. "Break My Stride" (Matthew Wilder, Greg Prestopino) - 3:04
2. "The Kid's American" (Wilder) - 4:36
3. "I Don't Speak the Language" (Wilder, Barbara Hyde) - 4:45
4. "Love Above the Ground Floor" (Wilder, Prestopino) - 4:13
5. "World of the Rich and Famous" (Wilder, Roscoe Beck) - 4:43
6. "Ladder of Lovers" (Wilder, Prestopino) - 4:04
7. "I Was There" (Wilder) - 3:01
8. "Dreams Keep Bringing You Back" (Wilder, Prestopino) - 4:36
9. "I Don't Speak the Language" (Reprise) - 1:20

Personnel

Source: ^[2]

• Matthew Wilder – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8), Prophet-5 (1), Prophet-10 (2, 3, 5, 6, 9), acoustic piano, (4, 7, 8), horn arrangements (4), Rhodes Chroma (5)
• Bill Elliott – Prophet-5 (1), acoustic piano (2), Prophet-10 (3, 4, 6, 7, 9), horn arrangements (4)
• Bill Cuomo – Prophet-5 (3, 6, 8, 9), Rhodes Chroma (3, 5, 6, 8, 9)
• Paul Fox – E-mu Emulator (5, 7)
• Dennis Herring – guitars (1, 2, 7)
• Donald Griffin – guitars (4, 5)
• Tim Weston – guitar solo (5)
• John McFee – mandolin (8)
• Reggie McBride – bass (2, 5)
• Rick Chudacoff – bass (4, 6, 7)
• Alphonso Johnson – bass (8)
• Peter Bunetta – drums, Oberheim DMX (1), percussion (1)
• John Gilston – Simmons drum programming and sequencing
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion (3, 6, 8, 9)
• Jerry Peterson – baritone saxophone (2)
• Lon Price – tenor saxophone (2)
• Bill Armstrong – trumpet (4)
• Gary Grant – trumpet (4)
• Greg Prestopino – backing vocals (1, 2, 8)
• Joe Turano – backing vocals (1, 2, 7, 8)
• Arno Lucas – backing vocals (2, 5)
• Leslie Smith – backing vocals (2, 5)
• Dee Dee Bellson – backing vocals (3, 4, 9)
• Mary Hylan – backing vocals (3, 4, 9)
• Edie Lehmann – backing vocals (3, 4, 9)
• Amy Weston – backing vocals (3, 4, 9)
• Anna Pagan – backing vocals (5)
• Anita Sherman – backing vocals (5)

Production

• Producers – Peter Bunetta, Rick Chudacoff and Bill Elliott.
• Executive Producers – Al Bunetta and Shingo Take
• Engineers – Csaba Pectoz (Track 1); Steve Zaretsky (All tracks).
• Assistant Engineers – Britt Bacon and Michael Franke (Track 1); Paul Ericksen, Mitch Gibson and Csaba Pectoz (Tracks 2-9).
• Mixed by Steve Zaretsky
• Design – Tommy Steele and Art Hotel
• Photography – William Warner

Charts

Chart (1983/84)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [3]	95
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [4]	30
US Billboard 200 [5]	49

References

1. "Upcoming Releases". CMJ New Music Report. October 10, 1983. p. 10.
2. Personnel and production information at Discogs
3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 337. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
4. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4471a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
5. "Matthew Wilder Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2024.