THE VAPORS...JOHN PEEL SESSION 1979..

The Vapors are an English new wave and power pop band that initially existed between 1978 and 1981. They had a hit with the song "Turning Japanese", which reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1980[4] and No. 36 in the US Billboard Hot 100.

Career
1978–1982
Based in Guildford, Surrey, an early version of the group were playing at The Three Lions pub in Farncombe when The Jam's bassist Bruce Foxton spotted them.[5] The group's line-up stabilised with David Fenton (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Howard Smith (drums), Edward Bazalgette (lead guitar) and Steve Smith (bass). Howard Smith and Steve Smith were not related. The group were originally named The Vapours but had removed the "u" to help garner more attention in America. Foxton then offered the group a few gigs and agreed to jointly-manage them with John Weller (father of Paul Weller).[1] The Vapors were then offered a slot supporting The Jam on the Setting Sons tour in 1979.

The group signed to United Artists, releasing their first single, "Prisoners", at the end of 1979, but it failed to chart. Their second single, "Turning Japanese", is the song for which they are best remembered. The track was produced by The Jam's producer Vic Coppersmith-Heaven and reached number 3 in the UK[4] and number 1 in Australia. It was also a top-ten hit in Canada and New Zealand and reached the top 40 in the United States. "Turning Japanese" was believed to euphemistically refer to masturbation,[6] although Fenton (the song's writer) denied that claim in an interview on VH1. He did, however, say he wished to thank whoever first came up with that interpretation, as he felt the salacious rumour about what the song 'really' meant may have been what made it a hit.[7][failed verification] The follow-up singles "News at Ten" and "Jimmie Jones" both peaked at number 44 in the UK Singles Chart.[4]

The group released two albums; New Clear Days (1980) and Magnets (1981). New Clear Days contained "Turning Japanese" and displayed a new wave sound with socially-conscious lyrics.[8] That album reached the middle of the charts in the UK, Canada, and US. Magnets revealed a power pop sound and darker lyrics, with the song "Jimmie Jones" making reference to cult leader Jim Jones.[9] That album sold poorly and the band broke up in 1982.[1] Fenton alleged in a later interview with Record Collector magazine that lack of record label support was the chief reason for the band's split, while a planned single release was cancelled without explanation.[7]

After the Vapors broke up, David Fenton joined the legal profession in the early 1990s, concentrating on the legal aspects of the music industry, and from 1999 he worked as a London-based in-house solicitor for the Musicians' Union.[10][11] Edward Bazalgette became a television director; his credits include a 2005 BBC documentary about Genghis Khan and two episodes of Doctor Who in 2015.[12][13] For many years Howard Smith ran an independent record shop, People Records in Guildford, the band's home town.[14][15] Steve Smith formed the band Shoot!Dispute, which appeared in John Peel sessions, and toured in support of Bruce Foxton; and later joined the rap/rock band 1ST.