The Vapors

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The Vapors were a New Wave band from England that existed between 1979 and 1981. They had a hit with the song "Turning Japanese" in 1980.

1 Career
2 "Turning Japanese"
3 Albums
4 References
5 External link

[edit] Career

Based in Guildford in Surrey, their members were David Fenton (songwriter, guitarist and vocalist), Howard Smith (drummer), Edward Bazalgette (lead guitar) and Steve Smith (bass guitarist and vocals.)

Their early musical style owed a great deal to New Wave and Mod influences such as The Jam, Secret Affair and The Jags. Indeed, they were discovered and managed by The Jam's bass player, Bruce Foxton. Also the song which they are mainly remembered for, "Turning Japanese", was produced by The Jam's producer Vic Coppersmith-Heaven and hit the UK Top Three at the same time that "Going Underground" was at number one.

The band released two albums: New Clear Days (the pun on "nuclear" being intentional) and Magnets. The first was more clearly in the "traditional" New Wave style of music, while touching on social issues such as the nuclear threat as well as love themes. The second album dealt more extensively with themes of alienation, with many dark lyrics about apparently psychotic characters, including the opening track, "Jimmie Jones", about cult leader Jim Jones.

A solicitor who specializes in music law, frontman Fenton has apparently retired from his Vapors days as a music creator and performer to concentrate on legal aspects of the industry.

Edward Bazalgette has since become a television director, credits including a 2005 BBC documentary about Genghis Khan.

[edit] "Turning Japanese"

"Turning Japanese" was often rumored to be a euphemism for excessive masturbation, and the subject of the song. This is based on the perception that people make a face where they squint their eyes and curl their lips to expose the upper incisors, resembling the stereotypical image of a Japanese person, during masturbation and orgasm. Though Dave Fenton viewed it as a love song when writing it, he would alternately confirm and deny the rumors in interviews [1].

The song was used on the soundtrack of the 2000 film Charlie's Angels, as well as being featured in the 2002 film, Jackass: The Movie, in the Night Panda skit. A cover version was used in Beverly Hills Ninja.

The song also appears in the original cut of Sixteen Candles, but was changed for the video release. It is playing in the scene where Dong drops off Samantha at home after a party.

"Turning Japanese" was covered by No Use for a Name, and released in 1997 on Before You Were Punk, a collection of 1980s new wave tracks covered by modern day punk rock bands.

A ska punk version of the song was done by the band Skankin' Pickle, on their 1994 release Sing Along With Skankin' Pickle.

The track appears on the commercial for Dr Pepper, the word Japanese being replaced by the number 23 (a reference to the carbonated soft drink being a "blend of 23 flavors").

A Master Card television commercial used the song's riff, showing a Westerner on a Japanese subway platform organise a rugby scrum so that he and others can squeeze into a subway car.

Rick Moranis did a version on SCTV as part of the Gerry Todd Show sketch, where Moranis (as Tom Monroe) performed a music video in cheesy lounge lizard style.