You could still have regional radio hits in 1980, and the Vapors' "Turning Japanese" was very big in Boulder, Colorado: even Denver's AM Top 40 station KIMN played it regularly, and my station of choice, KBAC, even spun the followup singles "News At Ten" and "Jimmie Jones." They were one of the few though, and so the Vapors are consigned to one-hit wonder novelty status. Shame, because they were really quite good. Originally part of the short-lived Mod revival (the Vapors were the other band managed by John Weller, Paul's da, with some help from Jam bassist Bruce Foxton, who had discovered them), the Vapors quickly outpaced every other band in that circle, and I strongly believe that David Fenton's best songs are every bit a match to the best things Paul Weller was writing for the Jam between All Mod Cons and The Gift. And if you knew just how much I worshiped the Jam in junior high, you'd know that was high praise indeed.

Truthfully, "Here Comes the Judge" is not one of Fenton's best. Indeed, I think it sounds like an early song that was later cannibalized for parts. (The verses sound a lot like "Spring Collection," if you'll notice, and I hear a little "Trains" in there as well.) But it's interesting (and exceedingly rare, only recently finally turning up on CD) and it gives me an excuse to print a photo of this Japanese single sleeve (which is actually from my wife's collection; the emendations are in her handwriting), which features one of my favorite mis-transcribed Japanese lyrics: "Your eyes are hazel/Except it's a cloud."

-Stewart Mason