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Founded in 1978...

One of the South's most enduring creative bands, The Swimming Pool Q's continue to record and perform their incomparable visionary pop in the 21st Century. If 2001's deluxe reissue of The Deep End began a historical reappraisal of The Q's, the new sound of Royal Academy of Reality, which appeared in June, 2003, caught even their longtime supporters off guard. The storm of acclaim that followed reestablished the Atlanta group as a prominent and vital force on the American music scene.

UPDATED January, 2010

Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 06:42PM by Registered CommenterSPQ's Admin | Comments25 Comments | References1 Reference

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  • Response
    Response: oloorvar
    at corodomdom on May 21, 2009
    monalorc4

Reader Comments (25)

The site looks great guy! Glad to see your doin' well...
June 28, 2005 | Unregistered Commenter---
Hello, site looks great! I tried to e-mail info@swimmingpoolqs.com, but it bounced. What's up?
July 2, 2005 | Unregistered CommenterRaul
Listening to The Deep End on CD reminds me of the first day I got glasses when I was a kid. I remember walking outside, seeing twigs on the branches of the trees across the street for the first time and being amazed at the intricate beauty of something I thought was familiar. The extra tracks are particularly welcome. Rather than a collection of scraps from the cutting room floor, they effectively reveal extra dimension and texture of the Qs' material.

Over at the Royal Academy of Reality the reckless youth of the early Q’s has grown up, stepped out of the shadow of a heartbeat lost and once again taken up linen sheet and cleaning mop beard and walked across the deep end of the Swimming Pool Q’s to open the mouth of southern rock and breathe in new life. Extraordinarily well done! Rather than babbling on about how good it is I’ll just rise to my feet, hold up my lighter and say “More! More! More!”

December 3, 2005 | Unregistered CommenterDavid Blalock
Please please please re-issue The Swimming Pool Q's" self titled album on CD.

All I have is a crappy recording on cassette from like 20 years ago. I can't even find the album.

Please!
December 11, 2005 | Unregistered CommenterRuss in DC
Please put Blue Tomorrow on cd also. Heck put them all on cd format for that matter...
May 21, 2006 | Unregistered CommenterSean Brisnahan
I would also love to see the "Q" album (the first on A&M) released on CD. That and "Blue Tomorrow" (which I luckily found as an import CD years ago and still have) are both wonderful albums. Jeff Calder is a criminally underrated songwriter-artist, and Bob Elsey should have been on the cover of all those damn guitar magazines. And Anne, ah yes, the one with the golden pipes. I miss seeing all those great Q shows. I live in Thailand now, so it's damn tough for me to make it back to Atlanta to see the band. But carry on, Q's, carry on. You are a truly great band!
June 5, 2006 | Unregistered CommenterDon Gilliland
Found you guys through Don Gilliland's blog. I remember seeing you guys in Orlando over 25 years ago. I seem to remember something you did onstage with a poster of Steve McQueen. Was that you guys?
June 16, 2006 | Unregistered CommenterJoe.My.God.
The band have been pressing A&M to reissue the two albums on CD for some time now but with no success.
Blue Tomorrow was issued on CD, but only in Germany! It sometimes comes up on EBAY but be prepared to pay a lot. The last one I bid for went for £35 (about $20). The vinyl albums are readily available on EBay at reasonable prices.
June 26, 2006 | Unregistered CommenterEd, London, England
Hey Q's! Nice site. Glad to see you're still in the game.
How about posting am mp3 of 'Stakeout at the Steakhouse.'
(I suppose I don't have to tell you what you can do with that "affidavit" do I?)

all the best,
marty
September 4, 2006 | Unregistered Commentermarty
Jeff: it was great to rap to you in Lakeland about the old and new times. Looks and sounds like you guys are "da bomb" man. I just may have to come back to Atlanta and see you live. I haven't been there since 1970 before the big "Pot Festival" in which I partook in doing a liitle sales for an illigetimate pharmacutical corporation, and a litle herb from G-Ville. Hats off to you man! You look GREAT! HAPPY NEW YEAR! Steve
December 30, 2006 | Unregistered Commenter240Z Steve--Lakeland
This site brings back great memories! And to see that you guys are still writing and performing (the entertainers that y'all are!) thrills me! Recording with you guys on Deep End was a treasured moment for me. However it doesn't hold a candle to singing a duet of "You Were Always On My Mind" with Jeff in Tuscaloosa!!! Shecky Greene lives!
--- Blair, former organist/night club entertainer of the Dynamic Atlanta Cruis-O-Matic


February 28, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterBlair Tanner
Someday the world will catch on to the brilliance of your music, but until then we can share in the secret. Thanks for all of the wonderful nights at Greenstreets in Columbia, and the Studio B in Greenville. I hope to see y'all soon! - Bart
April 8, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterBart Chapman - Indianapolis, Indiana
Just wanted to say thanks for the great show at Doc's in Columbia last night. The Q's music stands the test of time and even gets better with age! Hope to see you guys back in Columbia soon.

Also, nice article about you guys in the Free Times. Jeff, I hope you can get those older albums released on CD. I'll be first in line to pick them up.
May 12, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterDanny Fox - Lexington, SC
Hey - I see in Connect Savannah that the Qs are coming to Savannah in June. Any other cities you'll be appearing in at that time?
May 25, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterMary
Web site looks great, and the old pictures are really cool.
I followed you guys in the 80's and still following you today.
I ripped my original Q album onto CD and still play it all the time, but am waiting for it's official re-release (keep the pressure on the record company!)
And for you folks that missed the Q's when they teamed up with Tom Gray of the Brains (in Atlanta, early 2007), you missed a truly special show, the house was packed. Hope to see another Atlanta Q-Brains reunion.
Keep up the great work!
September 29, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterRT - Atlanta
It is incredible that you are still at it after all these years. I am proud to be one of your earliest fans. (Though I thought J.F. had been reincarnated as Alton Brown on the Food Network).
All the best,
James A. Dunlap III, Ph.D.
San Salvador
October 12, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterJames A. Dunlap III
I'M AN ORIGINAL FAN ALL THE WAY BACK FROM BOB ELSEY'S HIGH SCHOOL DAYS AT NORTH SPRINGS HIGH HAT'S OFF TO THE Q'S FOR STANDING THE TEST OF TIME.ALL THE BEST HAPPY NEW YEAR.


BOB .... CHECK THE Q'S E-MAIL THANKS RS JENSEN BCH FLA.
December 28, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterRANDY SPARKS
I've followed you guys since 1985 when a friend took me to a show at the moonshadow. Drivn n Cryin opened. You guys rocked and changed the course of my life. I went on the form a band and played out, recorded at Rod Gals studio, hob nobbed with some of Atl's finest musicians, even got to open for the Q's.....I always kinda thought mainstream people just were not intelligent enough to appreciate your creativity (makes me feel special ya know).... ;)
You music is timeless and your dedication extraordinary. Thank you for enriching my life with your music.
Sincerely,
Scott R. Haase
March 2, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterScott Haase
I was the crazed fan working my air guitar overtime next to the speakers at the Red Light Cafe gig (my apologies to Bob & Jeff, but I couldn't help myself). My first Q's
show in 15 long years and it more then
exceeded my expectations. Many thanks to the entire band on a flawless, inspiring show! After driving thru a monsoon from Charlotte NC to Atlanta, it was just what I needed.And I got to witness the 6 string genius of Glen Phillips. Still one of the world's most underated guitarist. See you again REAL soon!
March 17, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterBill
If the band was formed in 1978 then the show I saw at the Agora must have been once of the firsts. I don't remember the date, but I'm sure it was a Wednesday, when the cover and the machine-made mixed drinks were 75 cents a piece. Sure, that sounds expensive, but there were free admission tickets all over midtown.
May 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterCraig
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