Drummer on hit Turning Japanese named Guildford mayor

The former drummer of The Vapors says it is “brilliant” to be voted in as the mayor of Guildford.

Howard Smith, who grew up in the Surrey town, will hold the role until May 2026 after taking over from Sallie Barker.

The Labour councillor’s first responsibilities in the role have been attending VE Day events in the town on Wednesday.

He said: “It’s a real thrill to be mayor of your home town.”

Smith was the drummer for The Vapors when their song Turning Japanese reached number three on the UK singles chart in 1980.

The song became a number one hit in Australia and the band also had multiple US tours.

The Vapors also toured alongside Surrey rock band The Jam.

“It was a fantastic experience and I’m very proud of what we managed to achieve as a band,” Smith told the BBC.

The band opted for the American spelling for its name in part to appeal to a US audience, but Smith reflected that the name had a “little bit of cache that we wouldn’t have had with the British spelling”.

“It had a lot going for it and it’s a name that obviously served us well,” he said.

The drummer went on to work for non-profit Performing Rights Society while living in London, now known as PRS for Music.

He returned to the Guildford area nearly 20 years ago, running a record shop in the town for eight years.

Although the shop has closed, Smith said he still buys “far too many records” and continues to promotes gigs in the area.

Eventually he took up politics, volunteering to leaflet for the Labour party before standing in the 2017 general election as the party’s candidate for Guildford.

He came third but was elected as a Westborough ward borough councillor in 2023.

Smith said: “As with most people, you see what’s going on in politics in the country and sometimes you find yourself getting frustrated and shouting at the TV or something.”

As mayor, he has decided to support theatre group Guildford Shakespeare Company and the Phyllis Tuckwell hospice care charity.

He is also promoting the local music lesson bursaries charity Cheryl King Trust, which has a “special resonance”.

“Music has been my whole thing since I was a kid watching Top of the Pops,” Smith said.

The Vapors re-formed in 2016 but Smith opted not to join in, despite a “really good” relationship with his former bandmates, as it “would’ve just been too much” to balance with a political career and family life.

His music career is “one of those things that clearly stays with me forever,” he said. “It will be the thing that I’m known for.”