The Vapors, the English new wave pop band, emerged onto the scene in 1979 but soon evaporated in 1981 after the release of their popular single "Turning Japanese." The band hails from Guilford in Surrey and owes their new wave sound to bands like the Clash and David Bowie.

The first incarnation of the Vapors formed in 1978, but vocalist/guitarist Dave Fenton was the only remaining band member to survive the Vapor's first year. In 1979 the lineup included former Ellery Bops members Ed Bazalgette (lead guitar) and Howard Smith (drums), as well as bassist Steve Smith. The newly minted Vapors caught a lucky break when Jam's Bruce Foxton saw one of their first concerts and subsequently asked the band to perform with his group on their Setting Suns tour. Eventually Foxton, Jam's manager John Weller and the father of the group's lead, Paul Weller, began to manage the Vapors, who signed with United Artists.

The Vapors first single, "Prisoners," released in late 1979 was a disappointment, but their second single, "Turning Japanese" was an instant success. "Turning Japanese" reached number three on the U.K. charts in the spring of 1980 and also made the Billboard charts in the States in 1981. "News at Ten," the Vapors' follow-up single, was well-received and the Vapors capitalized on the success of these singles by releasing their debut album, New Clear Days, in May of 1980, although the album didn't match the success of popular single "Turning Japanese." Magnets, a more mature effort than New Clear Days, was released in 1981. The album included singles "Record Mirror" and "Trouser Press," which scored the Vapors a U.K. tour. The Vapors disappeared after John Weller dropped out as the band's manager in 1981 but has since released three anthology albums, their last being 1998's Vaporized, which put together their two original albums.