I Don't Speak the Language

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".

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)

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
US Billboard 200[4]	49