Based in Guildford, Surrey, an early version of the group were playing at The Three Lions pub in Farncombe when The Jam's bassist Bruce Foxton spotted them.

"Turning Japanese" was believed to euphemistically refer to masturbation,[6] although Fenton (the song's writer) denied that claim in an interview on VH1.

[10][11] Edward Bazalgette became a television director; his credits include a 2005 BBC documentary about Genghis Khan and two episodes of Doctor Who in 2015.

[citation needed] After 34 years of inactivity, David Fenton, Ed Bazalgette, and Steve Smith appeared on stage at the Half Moon in Putney on 30 April 2016.

Rumors of a reunion were rife, and the Vapors completed a four-date tour in October–November 2016 with Michael Bowes on drums.

[20] On 21 April 2018, they re-released "Turning Japanese" on red vinyl with bonus tracks for Record Store Day.

On 30 August, "Girl from the Factory", the third single from the album, reached number one on the United DJs Heritage Chart.

The download-only singles "One of My Dreams Came True" (2021), "Novocaine" (2022), and "Eyes on the Prize" (2024) all reached the Heritage Chart top ten, maintaining the band profile.

[27] In August 2024, the band announced plans to crowdfund the production of their fourth album, to be released in March of 2025.