NewsThe Vapors / Waiting for the Weekend: The United Artists & Liberty Recordings
4CD clamshell box set
Late Seventies English pop group The Vapors are best known for their 1980 hit single ‘Turning Japanese’, but anyone looking to dig much deeper into the band’s archive will be interested in Waiting For The Weekend: The United Artists and Liberty Recordings, a new four-CD box set from Cherry Red that includes two albums and two CDs of previously unreleased demos, rough mixes, alternative and live versions.
Formed in 1978, ‘discovered’ by The Jam‘s Bruce Foxton and managed by Paul Weller’s Dad, John, the group signed to United Artists in 1979. They released two studio albums: New Clear Days in 1980 (which features ‘Turning Japanese’) and Magnets, released 18 months later in December 1981. The Vapors broke up in 1982, but reformed in 2016, playing dates for a few years. They released a new studio album in 2020 called Together.
The new box set features significantly expanded versions of both studio albums on the first two CDs. Disc three features a 21-track album of alternative versions of songs from New Clear Days, all of which are previously unreleased, including four different versions of ‘Turning Japanese’.
The fourth and final CD features alternative versions of songs from Magnets and 11 tracks Live At The Rainbow 03/12/1979. Again, all of these are previously unreleased. In amongst all bonus material are three completely ‘new’ songs: ‘Move’, ‘Secret Noise’ and ‘Caroline’ that have never officially previously been released. The audio in this package has been mastered from the original master tapes retrieved from the EMI Archives
The clamshell box includes a 24-page booklet containing rare and previously unseen photos with a brand new annotation by Ed Piller.
Waiting For The Weekend: The United Artists & Liberty Recordings will be released on 13 August 2021.
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The Vapors
Waiting for the Weekend - 4CD box set
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Tracklisting
Waiting for the Weekend: The United Artists & Liberty Recordings The Vapors / 4CD box set
-
-
New Clear Days (expanded)
- Spring Collection
- Turning Japanese
- Cold War
- America
- Trains
- Bunkers
- News At Ten
- Somehow
- Sixty Second Interval
- Waiting For The Weekend
- Letter From Hiro
Bonus Tracks
- Prisoners
- Sunstroke
- Here Comes The Judge (Live)
- News At Ten (Single Version)
- Wasted
- Talk Talk
- Waiting For The Weekend
- (Single Version)
- Billy
- Turning Japanese (Edit)
- Move (Demo)*
-
Magnets (expanded)
- Jimmie Jones
- Spiders
- Isolated Case
- Civic Hall
- Live At The Marquee
- Daylight Titans
- Johnny’s In Love (Again)
- Can’t Talk Anymore
- Lenina
- Silver Machines
- Magnets
Bonus Tracks
- Galleries For Guns
- Jimmie Jones (Single
- Version)
- Daylight Titans (Single
- Version)
- Spiders (Single Version)
- Interview With Dave
- Fenton
-
New Clear Days (Alternative Versions)
- Spring Collection (Demo)*
- Turning Japanese (Alternative Version)*
- Cold War (Rough Mix)*
- America (Demo)*
- Trains (Rough Mix)*
- Bunkers (Demo)*
- News At Ten (Alternative Version)*
- Somehow (Instrumental)*
- Sixty Second Interval (Demo)*
- Waiting For The Weekend (Demo)*
- Letter From Hiro (Rough Mix)*
- Turning Japanese (Edit) (Demo)*
- Prisoners (Demo)*
- Wasted (Rough Mix)*
- Spring Collection (Rough Mix)*
- Turning Japanese (Alternative Extended Mix)*
- Cold War (Rough Mix Edit)*
- America (Instrumental)*
- Waiting For The Weekend (Rough Mix)*
- Cold War (Alternative Rough Mix)*
- Turning Japanese (Instrumental)*
*Previously Unreleased
-
Magnets (Alternative Versions and Live at The Rainbow 3/12/1979)
- Jimmie Jones (Rough Mix)*
- Civic Hall (Rough Mix)*
- Live At The Marquee (Rough Mix)*
- Johnny’s In Love (Again) (Rough Mix)*
- Galleries For Guns (Rough Mix)*
- Secret Noise*
- Galleries For Guns (Alternative Rough Mix)*
Live At The Rainbow 03/12/1979
- Caroline*
- Somehow*
- Bunkers*
- Sunstroke*
- Cold War*
- Waiting For The Weekend*
- Sixty Second Interval*
- Spring Collection*
- Turning Japanese*
- America*
- Prisoners*
* Previously Unreleased
-
New Clear Days (expanded)
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Reviews
Just got an email from Amazon US that my copy would be delayed by a few weeks. I’d love to think it was because they were surprised by the overwhelming demand. The Vapors were my favorite band in the early ’80s (sorry, Paul Weller). I have vinyl of the 1981 show in Guildford that was recorded for the BBC Rock Hour. Im listening to it right now for the first time in ages. It would have been nice if that could have been included.
There weren’t enough provided. It’s sold<out at Cherry Red’s website so I think they under estimated demand.
A pity that cherry Red didn’t go the Esoteric route here and do an deluxe with a remix of the first two albums in 5.1 on DVD or Blu.
Cherry Red and No Vinyl…. must be some mistake! (not that I’m complaining, perhaps they’ve been listening to some of the comments here?)
Coloured vinyl pressings of New Clear Days (Split Yellow and Black) and Magnets (Clear) are available.
The first album is a classic. This band is no one hit wonder.
Essential.
Nice compilation. I used to listen to my New Clear Days cassette while on my paper route while in Jr. High. Great album. Had Magnets on vinyl but didn’t get into it as much. Believe this set includes all of their commercially available tracks from the era. Glad it is in a clamshell box vs the ‘capacity wallet’ Cherry Red has been using for some other releases (e.g. Marc Almond). Pre-ordered this from Cherry Red on June 14 and it did come with a ltd edition signed postcard then. Don’t see that available now though as pointed out by some others below. See they are touring the UK this October to celebrate the 40th anniversary of New Clear Days.
Bet you where turning Japanese!every hour or 2 in your paperboy days?
Wow! The Vapors were a band I thought were pretty underrated back in the day and to my ears never recorded anything but great or brilliant songs. I had no idea there was so much out there. Will put it on my wish list. And there was me thinking the Divine Comedy box set would be the last I would purchase.
OMG. I am unreasonably excited about this release. Packed with content, not an inch of the disc space is wasted. The Vapors’ site mentions a signed card included with orders, but there’s nothing about that on Cherry Red’s site, so I won’t hold my breath.
And I can even continue to treasure my 40 year old US LPs, with their alternate (improved) track listing. What’s that? Magnets has no difference? Oh well – at least New Clear Days [US LP] has a different listing.
Ordered!
I ordered this a few weeks ago on Cherry Red. It stated at the time that it came with a signed card. Perhaps those have sold out now? I have New Clear Days on CD with bonus tracks, that is a fantastic album. So am really looking forward to this.
Galleries For Guns absolutely should have been included on Magnets. It was one of their best. Far too good for a b-side. Of course, I thought the same thing about Talk Talk with the first album.
When I was a kid, I always thought ‘Turning Japanese’ was a Cars tune. Sounded a lot like ‘Shake It Up,’ to my young ears. Suppose they couldn’t get away with such a non-pc song today!
Very interesting band if you look further than the major hit. Looks like a fab set especially the alternates of the debut.
DARN. Wish it would be on limited edition coloured vinyl. Thanks for the info!
That’s a great price. Pretty zero-risk opportunity to delve into their work
I’ve got the Oi! Reissues as well as the Collectables 2 on one CD. If the mastering is improved for the former (which is harsh and compressed), I would consider it.
Looks like a great package – very comprehensive. Will purchase without a doubt.