After releasing two psychedelic rock albums under the name „The Web“, African-American singer John L. Watson left the band. John Eaton replaced bassist Dick Lee-Smith. However, the new frontman Dave Lawson proved decisive to the band’s musical evolution. With him they took a new, more serious direction that was more heavily influenced by progressive, jazzy rock. Lawson not only took over vocals and keyboards but also brought his own completely new song material to the band. In addition, they switched record labels from Deram to Polydor and went on to perform under the name Web (without the article „The“). At the time of the recordings for their new LP, which took place in mid-1970 at Wessex Sound Studios, the band consisted besides Lawson of Lennie Wright (dr, vib, dr, perc), Tony Edwards (g), Tom Harris (sax, fl, tamb), John Eaton (b) and Kenny Beveridge (dr, perc).

Lawson’s vocals and his impressive keyboard playing, which reinforced the band’s existing jazz elements, made the album I Spider one of the most outstanding examples of early British jazz rock, exhibiting stylistic parallels to the contemporary works of Van Der Graaf Generator, Gentle Giant, and Colosseum. Released in October 1970 on Polydor and produced by Lennie Wright and the band, the LP is undoubtedly a top-quality, jazz-infused progressive rock album and a sought-after classic of the prog era. Shortly after the album was released, the group reformed under the name Samurai.