Mike Stuart Span

The Mike Stuart Span was a British 1960s pop band consisting of Stuart Hobday (lead vocals), Brian Bennett (lead guitar, vocals), Roger McCabe (bass guitar, vocals), and Gary Murphy (drums). Their critical reputation is based almost exclusively on the merits of a handful of rare or unreleased recordings. In 1969 they briefly changed their name to Leviathan, before splitting up.
The Mike Stuart Span evolved out of a Brighton-based group called the Mighty Atoms, which included vocalist Stuart Hobday and bassist Roger McCabe. By 1965, Hobday's early attempts at songwriting had secured a publishing contract with Lorna Music, and the Mike Stuart Span - a name created by reversing the singer's Christian names - was formed. In addition to Hobday and McCabe, the embryonic Span included Nigel Langham (guitar), Ashley Potter (organ) and a teenage drummer Gary 'Roscoe' Murphy.
A liaison with local promoter / manager Mike Clayton, resulted in the replacement of Potter with Jon Poulter, and the addition of a four piece horn section. For economy this was soon reduced to two (Gary Parsley on trumpet and Dave Plumb on saxophone) as the band concentrated their efforts on American-derived soul music. However, within a few months, guitarist Langham fell to his death after leaping through an upstairs window whilst under the effects of LSD.
(read more on Wikipedia)
==Links to Peel==
Peel played one of two singles released simultaneously by Leviathan, who had previously recorded a Top Gear session as the Mike Stuart Span. JP says it's "beautifully produced by someone called Clive" - his manager Clive Selwood, who signed them to Elektra. He was running the label's London office as well as looking after Peel's career..
==Sessions==
;thumb|220x220pxMike Stuart Span
On Timespan CD, 1995 (Wooden Hill WHCD003)
1. Recorded: 1968-05-07. First Broadcast: 26 May 1968
*My White Bicycle / Children Of Tomorrow / Through The Looking Glass
==Other Shows Played==
;Leviathan
*13 April 1969: The War Machine (7") Elektra
*11 May 1969: Time (b-side of single The War Machine) Elektra 
==External Links==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
Category:Artists