The Vapors
Led by vocalist/guitarist Dave Fenton, the Vapors were a short-lived new wave guitar group that is best known for the spiky pop single "Turning Japanese." Fenton formed the first version of the Vapors in 1978, yet he was the only member to survive that lineup; in 1979, former Ellery Bops members Ed Bazalgette (lead guitar) and Howard Smith (drums) joined the band, and bassist Steve Smith came aboard shortly afterward. One of the band's first concerts was seen by the Jam's Bruce Foxton, who asked them to perform on his group's Setting Sons tour. Before long, the Vapors were managed by Foxton and John Weller, the manager of the Jam, as well as the father of the group's leader, Paul Weller.
The Vapors signed to United Artists, releasing their first single, "Prisoners," at the end of 1979; it failed to chart. "Turning Japanese," the band's second single, became a major hit, reaching number three on the U.K. charts in March of 1980. New Clear Days, the band's debut album, was released two months later, which didn't sell as well as the single. In 1981, the Vapors released the more ambitious Magnets, yet it received lukewarm reviews and poor sales; the group disbanded shortly after its release.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Discography
17 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Turning Japanese (Re-Recorded) [Sped Up] - Single
Punk / New Wave - Released by Cleopatra Records on May 30, 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Turning Japanese - Best Of The Vapors
Pop - Released by RT Industries on Nov 11, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Turning Japanese
Rock - Released by Concord Music Group on Jan 1, 1980
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Together
Rock - Released by Manmade Soul Ltd and The Vapors Own Records on May 15, 2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Turning Japanese (Re-Recorded)
Rock - Released by Cleopatra Records on Jul 23, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Waiting for the Weekend
Rock - Released by Concord Music Group on Aug 10, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Together
Rock - Released by Manmade Soul Ltd and The Vapors Own Records on Mar 27, 2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BBC In Concert (7th March 1981)
Pop - Released by Parlophone UK on Feb 5, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Together (2021 Remix)
Rock - Released by Manmade Soul Ltd and The Vapors Own Records on Apr 16, 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Crazy
Rock - Released by Manmade Soul Ltd and The Vapors Own Records on Mar 11, 2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Turning Japanese (In Concert)
Punk / New Wave - Released by Hitstown on Jan 19, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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