The Vapors were best known for the single "Turning Japanese" (which is euphamistacally said to be about masturbation) but anyone that went out and bought the album back in 1980 will tell you that they should have been known for so much more than that one song and to call them "one hit wonders" would be a hideous crime!
The band hailed from Guildford and were discovered by John Weller, father of Paul Weller and were subsequently managed by himself and Bruce Foxton.
The single Turning Japanese peaked at number 3 in the UK charts and also hit other charts around the globe, the album only managed a number 44 placing, rather curiously as it is full of great songs with depth and hooks that you can't possibly ignore.
The second album "Magnets" charted in the US (109) and in Canada (39) but failed to make any impact on the UK charts and the band broke up soon after the release, stating, there was a lack of label support.
New Clear Days is an album I go back to time and time again, it sits comfortably amongst The Jam, The Chords and many other bands of that period, 31 years old and a classic!
Get it: HERE
truly great band check out the link from my site for the vapors live
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http://backinthefire.blogspot.com/2010/09/vapors-new-clear-days-1980.html
Brilliant write up there Pete, if I had seen that first, I would of nicked a lot of it! ;) Basically all my thoughts about the album are there. It must have felt like being born again after discovering it again after 25 years!!!!
ReplyDelete...and I finally managed to get your blog link in my sidebar, they kept going somewhere else!!!!!
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