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about

Where the City of Vancouver reaches westward into the Gulf of Georgia there is a place called Spanish Banks. The name commemorates the meeting in 1792 of English explorer George Vancouver with Spanish explorers Galiano & Valdes. The two parties worked in tandem up the Discovery Pass, exchanging information and at times socializing. These were the first Europeans to contact many of the indigenous peoples whose villages for eons have lined these pristine waters. Many Pacific Northwest place names date back to this historic exploration.

lyrics

SPANISH BANKS

I walked the road to Spanish Banks
Where the cliffs rise o'er the sandy shoals below
And wondered, how it appeared to them
Two hundred years ago

In wooden ships the iron men
Braved the oceans from half the world away
Venturing on to each new horizon
And charting as they sailed

What if they had seen the years unfolding
Would they have believed a world so changed?
Could they have foreseen in all their wildest fantasies
The place that bares their names?

George Vancouver crossed the bay
There met the Spaniards; Galiano & Valdes
Names that leap from my atlas pages
Were present on that day

In tandem up the coast they faired
Through Salish, the Nootka Kwakwak’l & Haida Guaii
The ancient people saw them pass and they knew
Their world would never be the same

What if they had seen the years unfolding
Would they have believed a world so changed?
Could they have foreseen in all their wildest fantasies?
The place that bares their names?

I walked the sand at Spanish Banks
And where the cliffs rise o'er the sandy shoals below
I wondered how it felt to be alive
Two hundred years ago

credits

from Stirring Up Ghosts Vol 1&2, released June 1, 2015
Bruce Coughlan – vocals (all tracks) acoustic guitar (2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24) wood flute (1, 5, 10, 13, 14) whistles (1, 5, 14, 20, 24)
Laurence Knight – electric bass (all tracks) vocals (7, 12, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23)
Nolan Murray – fiddle (5, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24) mandolin (4, 5, 6, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24) 5-string banjo (5, 14, 22, 23)
Joby Baker – drums (4, 20, 21, 24) Whurlitzer piano (4) vocals (20)
Ian Cameron – fiddle (1, 11) mandolin (1)
Noel Chalmers – military drum (20)
Aaron Chapman – vocals (14)
John Cowan – vocals (15)
Doug Cox – dobro (21)
Jack Duncan – percussion (1)
Colleen Eccleston – vocals (21)
Bear Erickson – elec. guitar (20) vocals (20)
Geoff Eyre – drums (2, 8, 17)
Tatiana Hancheroff – vocals (17)
Daryl Havers – accordion (3)
Dave Keogh – vocals (14)
Larry Knechtel – Hammond (15)
Craig McGregor – acoustic guitar (7, 10, 13, 17) elec. guitar (3, 17) octave mandolin (8) mandolin (9)
Jim McWilliams – bagpipes (20)
Sandy Marshall – bagpipes (20)
Chris Nordquist – drums (14, 15, 19, 23)
Gord Maxwell – vocals (2, 3, 11, 18, 22)
Aiden O’Brien – uillean pipes & whistles (4) vocals (4)
Paul O’Brien – vocals (4)
Peter Padden – vocals (2)
Eric Reed – elec. guitar (23) mandolin (6, 16) vocals (16)
Phil Robertson – drums (5, 12, 18, 22)
Mike Sanyshyn – fiddle (3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 17, 22) mandolin (8, 12, 22)
David Sinclair – elec. guitar (4)
Victor Smith – fiddle (9) whistles (3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13) silver flute (17)
Shawn Soucy – drums (3, 9, 10, 13) percussion (8, 9, 10, 13)
Robbie Steininger – acoustic guitar (1, 5, 22) elec. guitar (18) dobro (18, 22)
Chris Stevens – 5-string banjo (7, 9, 12)
Ed Wagstaff – bagpipes (20)
Valdy – vocals (24)

All songs, music & lyrics by Bruce Coughlan (SOCAN) except: The Ballad of John Rae by Bruce Coughlan & Jim Smith (SOCAN)
All tracks produced by Laurence Knight except: Laurence Knight & Steven Drake (15, 23) Joby Baker (4, 21, 24) Bruce Coughlan (6, 14, 20) Mastered & re-mastered by Joby Baker Thank-you to our families, friends and fans for all your support and inspiration!!
Thanks to everyone who contributed to our Kickstarter Stirring Up Ghosts initiative. Special thanks to Rob Armstrong, Katharine Barrett, Bob Chenoweth and the Lexvolds. Special thanks again to Dave & Paula Reed whose initial contribution made this project possible.

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Bruce Coughlan Maple Ridge, British Columbia

Pacific Canadian-based recording & performing artist, Bruce Coughlan has spent decades making Acoustic Roots Music Music of all descriptions. An expressive singer and rock-solid guitarist, Bruce is driven by one guiding principle: It's all about the Song. ... more

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