“I get asked, ‘What’s it like being a one-hit wonder?’ I say, ‘It’s better than being a no-hit wonder!’” The Vapors’ hit Turning Japanese was born at 4AM, but came to life when two guitarists were stuck into the same booth

The Vapors’ Dave Fenton.

With a Tele in hand and a 50-watt Marshall at his feet, Dave Fenton untethered one of the catchiest ‘80s songs in history – The Vapors’ 1980 hit Turning Japanese. With its slick riff and, apparent NSFW subliminal meaning, the track remains loved 45 years on.

Regarding rumors about what it’s actually about, Fenton says: “I’ve always maintained it was a love song about a bloke who’s lost his girlfriend, only has a photograph, and sits in his bedroom pining over it.”