Remember the time

The Mike Stuart Span, alias Leviathan, are one of the most collectable ‘unknown’ UK bands of the psychedelic era, acclaimed in RC’s recent Psych surveys – and in our Rare Record Price Guide. The band’s drummer, GARY MURPHY, ponders their cult status…

Originally formed in Brighton in 1965 as a six-piece ‘soul’ band - it all seems like an eternity ago now! - we were signed up in 1966 by EMI and recorded two singles (now Northern Soul and dance favourites).

Without any chart success and low sales, we were promptly dropped!

Streamlining to a fourpiece and moving away from the original soul sound, we decided to try a more hard hitting rock/pop approach, especially as we now had the superb young guitarist Brian Bennett in the lineup. We hoped to strike up a new deal with Decca but were deemed  to be not commercial enough.

Undeterred, we decided to go for the ‘do it ourselves approach’ and recorded two originals at the then RG Jones’ Oak Studios in Morden from which the now legendary cut of Children Of Tomorrow (pictured above) was born. Incidentally this was never properly re-mastered and is therefore in effect a ‘demo’ record, albeit one that is now highly sought after. Original copies fetch in excess of £300 and one sold on eBay last month for £350!

In the early 80s someone re-discovered this Mike Stuart Span track, dipped their fingers in the goo, and proceeded to launch the now infamous series of Chocolate Soup For Diabetics albums on which it was included, along with many similar rediscovered obscurities.

The …

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