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. Early history 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. Recordings as the Mike Stuart Span The band secured a recording contract with EMI, after recording the Hobday penned "Work-Out", coupled with a cover of The Drifters, "Follow Me". However, it was another Drifters number, "Come On Over To Our Place" that was selected as the A-side for the band's debut single on the Columbia label in November 1966, backed by another Hobday original "Still Nights". A second single followed in June 1967, a Cat Stevens song "Dear", supported by Mike D'Abo's "Invitation". This was equally unsuccessful, and EMI decided to drop the band. EMI's decision forced the Span to dismiss the horns section, with keyboardist Poulter also departing shortly afterwards. An advertisement in Melody Maker recruited guitarist Brian Bennett, who had previously been a member of Tony's Defenders. With a line-up of Hobday, Bennett, McCabe and Gary Murphy, the revitalised band paid more attention to the importance of studio work, starting with an October 1967 session at Decca Records with Dave Paramor who had produced their EMI singles. Three tracks were recorded: a version of Fontella Bass' "Rescue Me", the Murphy