There is a new limited-edition collectors’ pack available to buy now from our merch store. Each pack contains: ‘Crazy’ pin badge; ‘Together’ pin badge; ‘Magnets’ fridge magnet; ‘Wasted’ beer bottle opener; Vapors key ring/trolley token; Vapors business card signed by Dave. Each pack costs £10 including P&P in the UK, £18 for USA and £12 for the rest of the world. To buy yours, please send a Paypal payment (via the ‘friends and family’ option) to vaporsmerch@gmail.com Please include the word ‘bundle’ in your message along with your shipping details.
We have a brand new Together hoodie which is available to order for the next 2 weeks only. The hoodie is zip fastening, comes in a range of sizes and features the Together album design on the breast & the band’s logo on the sleeve. Updated 24/7-ordering now extended until 31st July Updated 31/7-just a reminder that this campaign ends at midnight tonight. Act fast if you want to buy one of these hoodies!
For any fans wishing to start collecting the band’s output on physical release, whether it be vinyl, CD or even cassette, it seems fairly easy to secure the full discography with a back catalogue of only six 7” singles and three albums to find. In this article, we delve a little deeper into the murky land of the vinyl junkie, a world of acetates, test pressings and forty different versions of Turning Japanese!
The band will be appearing as part of an online virtual concert called ‘Back To The Basement’ on Saturday 13th June, alongside a host of bands from the Eighties, in aid of the charity Direct Relief. The event will be screened twice on Saturday and timings, bands appearing and all other details can be found here
Forty years ago today, on the 7th of June 1980, the band released their long-awaited debut album ‘New Clear Days’. The 11 track LP featured the singles ‘Turning Japanese’ and ‘News At Ten’, but omitted ‘Prisoners’ in the UK (although it was included on the US & Canadian releases in place of both ‘Cold War’ and ‘America’). The album was recorded in London at the end of 1979 with the legendary Jam producer Vic Coppersmith-Heaven at the controls. From the opening track, the new wave ‘Spring Collection’, to the closing epic ‘Letter From Hiro’, every song was packed full of the hooks and hallmarks of the Vapors’ sound. The album disappointingly only peaked at 44 in the UK charts. You can listen to the full album, in all its glory, on Spotify here
Whilst listening to the album, you can also read through some of the press reviews from the time below…
On this day in 1980, the band released their third single ‘News At Ten’, the follow up to the smash hit ‘Turning Japanese’. Taken from their imminent debut album ‘New Clear Days’, the track was another Vapors classic with lyrics about the mundanity of modern life and living at home with your parents. Coupled with two tracks on the b-side ‘Wasted’ & ‘Talk Talk’, it unfortunately failed to repeat the success of TJ and only reached 44 in the UK chart. Listen to all three tracks from the single on Spotify here
A brand new t-shirt featuring the striking front cover design of the Together album is now available to order. It is available in the full range of sizes for both men & women.
On this day in 1980, the band played the first gig of the huge headline tour to promote their debut album New Clear Days at Bradford University. Throughout June, they traveled the length & breadth of Britain on a 20 date trek which culminated in a London show at the Rainbow on the 28th of June.
If you were lucky enough to attend any of the shows, please let us know in the comments below…
CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE NEW ALBUM
