The Vapors

(c’78-82) David Fenton (vocal & rhythm guitar), Steve Smith (bass), Edward Bazalgette (guitar) and Howard Smith (drums).

Originally called the Big Box Band, then BBC3, then The Vapours; the band’s initial members were Michael Hedges (bass), Rob Kemp (guitar), Fenton (vocal) and Mike “Joe” Jordan (drums). The earlier BBC incarnations, when they rehearsed in Weydon Youth Club, also included Bob Wright (vocal). The band moved to rehearsing at Shalford Village Hall, with Colin Crew helping lug the gear; including Kemp’s 8×12 Marshall stack – erroneously reported to be one of only six made for The Who.

It was the Kemp/Fenton/Hedges/Jordan incarnation, Vapors MkI, that recorded the original demo/s of “Turning Japanese” at Shalford Village Hall / Chestnut Studio, Churt in ’78. Reportedly, Kemp wrote one of the dominant guitar riffs in “Turning Japanese” but received no writing credit due to a falling out.

In early / mid ’78 the band were performing three or four gigs a month at local venues such as the Coach & Horses, Farnham; Holly Bush. Addlestone; The Junction at The Star, Guildford and The Malting, Farnham. Reportedly a gig at The Laker Hotel, Redhill supporting The Cure, going by the Easy Cure moniker at the time, resulted in both bands’ roadies getting into a fight, supposedly triggered by Robert Smith saying to Rob Kemp, “You think you’re really good, but you’re not!” – or words to that effect.

Fenton – who was working in Cliffs greengrocer down Market Street, Guildford – was the only original member to remain in ’79 when Bazalgette and Howard Smith (both ex-The Ellory Bops) and Steve Smith (ex-The Absolute drummer, who lived opposite The Royal and was once stabbed in The Royal Oak, just down from the music shop where he used to practice) joined. The rumor being that this replacement was at the instruction of the record company before the single was recorded and released. Bazalgette recalls, in an interview with Malcolm Wyatt posted to WriteWyattUK, having been in a band that had split and he, who was busy washing dishes at the Corona Cafe, Guildford during the day to pay for his walnut Gibson SG special during the day, and Howard Smith watching The Vapors. They’d formed a pick-up band together; possibly called The Parrots, that got pulled off stage after about three songs by Tony McManus, landlord at The Royal, Guildford, which Fenton had witnessed. Three months later Hedges called Bazelgette asking if he was interested in auditioning.

The Vapors MkII rehearsed above the launderette in Markenfield Road, Guildford, which was owned by one of the Smith’s fathers, where they could also leave their gear, in a room they’d egg crated to muffle the sound. Their first gig was reportedly at The Junction, at The Star, Quarry Street booked by Michael Coles having heard a tape Fenton had given him, stating “they would be the next big thing in town”. On 14 January ’79 they played The Three Lions (Scratchers), Farncombe and a National Union of Journalist benefit gig at the University of Surrey nine days later on 25 January ’79; there was also a reportedly ‘infamous’ gig at Godalming College – although we’ve still to discover why it was ‘infamous’. Discovered by Bruce Foxton, in April ’79 at Scratchers, Godalming, they were managed by Foxton and John Weller and accompanied the The Jam on the Setting Sons tour in late ’79, early ’80.

But that was after the band, across May and June ’79, undertook their first tour, rather hopefully called the ‘Passport Tour’ as no passports were required, for their Southern UK sojourn’s most distant gig was at Colson Hall, Bristol on 21 May ’79. Local lad, Tim Cox was their roadie at the time and their first ‘tour bus’ was Steve Gunner’s Morris 1000, before upgrading to the Golden Age of Metro’s van which they borrowed with Sophie Good chauffeuring.

While on tour Fenton sent a demo to John Peel who booked them for a session, which recorded “Turning Japanese”, “Trains”, “Waiting For The Weekend”, and “Cold War” on 4 July ’79, broadcast on 11 July 1979 then repeated on 20 August 1979 (of which Peel said “sounded better the second time around”) and 2 April 1980. They signed to United Artists and released their first single, “Prisoners,” [BP 321] with “Sunstroke” on the b-side at the end of 1979. It was about this time that Bazelgette was accepted to Goldsmith’s College, an entrance he declined following an ultimatum from Fenton (who’d given up his career for the band) along the lines of ‘if you accept you resign from The Vapors’. Also in ’79 they raised 200 quid, together with House, at a woman’s aid gig that same year. In November they appeared half naked in “Oh Boy!” magazine, and with The Beat at a John Peel Roadshow gig in Guildford.

Their second and best known single, “Turning Japanese” [BP 334] reach No.3 in the UK chart and top ten in Canada, New Zealand and Australia, and top 40 in the US was produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven who also produced The Jam. The cover design for “Turning Japanese” was done by Guildford musician / artist Andi McInnes, who was good friends with the band, who fought with the record company to allow him to do it instead of the in-house department.

The band, who were too famous to put on the bill, were listed as The Japanese Prisoners, and back at The Wooden Bridge, Guildford on 9 February ’80 for a Barbed Wire benefit that saw Noit Otni & the Pits and UBz in support. Shortly after they undertook a short UK tour to promote the single. This kicked off at The Polytechnic, Wolverhampton on 13 February ’80, then onto JB’s in Dudley on 16 February and rolling back south to perform at the Marquee, London the next night with UBz opening for them. The tour rolled onto the University of Kent, Canterbury (18 Feb), Brunel University, Uxbridge (20 Feb), Huddersfield Polytechnic (22 Feb), University of Warwick (23 Feb), South Wales Newbridge Institute (24 Feb), Circles Club, Swansea (25 Feb), the Brunel Rooms, Swindon (26 Feb), and Routes, Exeter, where you could have seen the band for a quid on 27 February ’80. The last two dates rolled through the Dorset Institute of Higher Education, Weymouth on 28 February and the Marshall Rooms, Stroud on 29 February ’80. The album “New Clear Day” was released in June 1980 again on the United Artists Records label, followed by the singles “Waiting for the Weekend” [BP367] and “News at Ten” [BP 345]. On 12 June ’80, The Vapors played their hometown, at the Civic Hall, then dashed up to Sheffield to appear at Sheffield City Polytechnic the next night.

The second album, “Magnets” [LBG 30324], was released the following year on the Liberty label (UA was taken over by EMI and the Liberty brand was revived in 1980, having become part of UA in ’71) after which Fenton left and may have been replaced by Dylan of UBz, ultimately breaking up in early ’82. Not before, however, the release of the single: “Jimmie Jones”. The Peel session recording of “Trains” was broadcast again to celebrate Peel’s 30 years on BBC Radio One. Peel also claimed on his 17 April 2002 show that he and Sheila were singing ‘Turning Japanese’, while touring Rajasthan. Fenton has said they tried to reform in 2001 but couldn’t find the time to rehearse.

On 30 April 2016, Fenton and Bazelgette guested with Steve Smith’s band The Shakespearos at the Half Moon in Putney, playing “Turning Japanese” then leaving. On 10 June a short four-date tour in October and November was announced. Also in 2016, Steve Smith said “the Peel Session was a huge break for the band…it gave us credibility.” The reformed band are still touring today.

After the split, Steve Smith joined Shoot!, Dispute. Fenton, who was erroneously rumored to have landlorded a Woking pub for a while, became a solicitor specializing in music law for the Musicians Union. Bazalgette went to Central London Polytechnic, focusing on editing which got him into the BBC; becoming a television director, including episodes of Doctor Who, Poldark, Class, Top Gear and EastEnders. Bazalgette’s old 4 x 12 Marshall cabinet, stenciled on back with ‘Vapors’ and ‘Reg’, which was his nickname, currently reside with another local musician, Adam Russel. Steve Smith along with Steve Jameson (ex-World Domination) formed CUT. Howard Smith ran People Records on Chapel Street, Guildford.

Kemp formed Pozer with Bruce Richins and Ian Goral and owned Total Video, Farnham before moving to the US in 1986. He sadly died in 2016 as a result of a heart attack.

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