Atlanta’s Swimming Pool Q’s — a Southern jangle-pop contemporary of R.E.M., The B-52s and Pylon — are appealing to fans via a new Kickstarter campaign to raise enough money to reissue their two major-label releases from the mid-’80s on CD for the very first time, along with myriad bonus items to tempt backers.
With 26 days left to go, the band’s Kickstarter already has raised more than $13,600 toward its $15,000 goal, so it appears likely we’ll see the release of 1984’s A&M Records-released The Swimming Pool Q’s and its 1986 follow-up Blue Tomorrow as a 2CD package. The two out-of-print albums have never been released on CD in the U.S.
Above, you can watch the band’s video about the project. Below, you can sample a couple excerpts of tracks off each of the to-be-reissued albums, and get a run-down of the bonus material being offered to fans depending on the level of their generosity, from buttons and flyers ($9) to a “full-course dinner” with the band “at your nearest Olive Garden” ($2,500). Check it out:
- A CD of demos, outtakes, alternate versions and remixes from the period, including a country version of “The Bells Ring”.
- “Fire Makes Us Diamonds”, Jeff Calder’s historical notes examining The Swimming Pool Q’s in the years 1983–1987; accompanying the text will be many never-before-seen photos from The Q’s archive and Anne Richmond Boston’s personal collection.
- A DVD, created by our drummer Bill Burton, which captures us in a variety of compromising situations: The 930 Club in Washington DC in early 1985; various teenbeat cable television shows; a stirring clip of The Q’s psych-folk interpretation of “Little Drummer Boy”; a promotional video created for A&M Records’ 1984 annual meeting, plus a visit by the band to the record company’s legendary Hollywood lot; and more.
- Signed photographs from sessions surrounding both albums, plus reproductions of the luxurious 24” x 36” posters that accompanied the reissue of The Deep End (1981/2001) and the release of Royal Academy of Reality (2003).
- A disc of new material including tracks like “System of Love” and “Science Moon”.
- Two CDs from The Swimming Pool Q’s catalog, The Deep End and Royal Academy of Reality, along with our debut 7” single from 1979 “Rat Bait” b/w “The A-Woke Woke Me Up” on Chlorinated Records.
- Archival flyers from many Swimming Pool Q’s performances reproduced on original Xerox machines, when possible.
- A full-course dinner at your nearest Olive Garden, hosted by the group.
- A private live show at which we’ll play selections from The Swimming Pool Q’s and Blue Tomorrow plus bonus tracks.
