Early Years
The band began in 1983 as a Vancouver-based folk trio called Eavesdropper, consisting of John Mann, Geoffrey Kelly and J. Knutson, and scored early gigs as an opening act for rockers such as Art Bergmann and Barney Bentall. After a gig on Vancouver Island was erroneously billed as "Eavesdroppings", the band opted to change its name to Spirit of the West, and independently released a self-titled album in 1984 before signing to Stony Plain Records, a roots music label based in Edmonton, Alberta.
Stony Plain released Tripping Up the Stairs in 1986. Following that album, Knutson left the band and was replaced by Hugh McMillan.
1988's Labour Day was the band's first major success, spawning the popular single "Political" and making the band a major name on the folk festival circuit. After that album's tour, McMillan took a temporary hiatus from the band. He was replaced by Daniel Lapp and Linda McRae, but returned before the band's next album was recorded. When McMillan returned, Lapp left the band but McRae stayed on. (As a result, Lapp never actually appeared on a Spirit of the West recording. He pursued a solo career, however, releasing a number of albums of experimental jazz/folk/electronic fusion.)
On the strength of "Political", Warner Bros. Records signed the band, and Stony Plain released a compilation, Old Material 1984–1986 in 1989. In 1990, the band's major label debut, Save This House was released. The album track "Home for a Rest", which is still considered a classic frosh week anthem at universities across Canada as well as a popular tune at wedding dances, was not officially released as a single, but remains the band's most famous song.
Read more about this topic: Spirit Of The West
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