The Cooper Temple Clause

The Cooper Temple Clause
Background information
Origin	Wokingham, Berkshire, England
Genres	Alternative rock New prog
Years active	1998–2007
Labels	Sanctuary
Website	Official website
Past members
Tom Bellamy Daniel Fisher Ben Gautrey Jon Harper Kieran Mahon Didz Hammond

The Cooper Temple Clause were an English six-piece alternative rock band originating from Wokingham, Berkshire. Formed in 1998, the band quickly gained a following through their live concerts, and have produced three albums, the latest being Make This Your Own. The band split up on 24 April 2007, following the departure of Daniel Fisher.

Name

The band was named after the Cowper-Temple clause,^[1] the first part of the name of which is pronounced, as in the band's name, /ˈkuːpər/. The clause was inserted into the Elementary Education Act 1870, which established compulsory primary education in England and Wales. The clause, a compromise on the matter of funding for denominational schools, was named after its proposer, Liberal MP William Cowper-Temple (born William Francis Cowper, later Baron Mount Temple).

During many of their early interviews, the band would make up various stories related to the origin of their name. An example of this can be seen in a video interview by Supersweet TV.^[2]

History

After signing a record deal with the RCA label in 2000 and putting out several singles and EPs, their debut album See This Through and Leave was released in 2002 to great critical acclaim. 2003's follow-up, Kick Up the Fire, and Let the Flames Break Loose, achieved the band international recognition on the strength of the singles "Promises, Promises" and "Blind Pilots". The Cooper Temple Clause left RCA in 2006, signing to Sanctuary Records for the release of their third album Make This Your Own.

See This Through And Leave

The band's debut album, See This Through And Leave was released on 11 February 2002. Three singles were released from the album; "Let's Kill Music", the double-A side "Film-Maker // Been Training Dogs", and "Who Needs Enemies?". The album was released on CD, limited edition double CD, international CD and a 7" boxed set, along with 2 promo CDs. The Limited edition double CD contained 3 extra songs and live versions of Panzer Attack and Let's Kill Music. It was well received by critics and reached number 27 in the UK Albums Chart.^[3] Fisher wrote the lyrics for this first album^[4]

Kick Up the Fire, and Let the Flames Break Loose

Following only 19 months after See This Through And Leave, The Cooper Temple Clause released their second album Kick Up the Fire, and Let the Flames Break Loose on September 8, 2003. The songs were better-produced and the album had a different style to it, increasingly incorporating electronic sounds into tracks. The strength of its two singles, "Promises, Promises" and "Blind Pilots" achieved the band international recognition, with "Promises, Promises" reaching number 19 on the UK Singles Chart.^[3] The album was hailed by fans and critics alike and reached number 5 in the UK Albums Chart, the highest position the band would ever achieve.^[3]

Didz Hammond's departure

In September 2005, bassist Didz Hammond left the band to join ex-Libertine Carl Barât in the band Dirty Pretty Things. The Cooper Temple Clause issued a statement on their official website confirming Didz's departure:^[5]

Dear fans and friends of The Cooper Temple Clause, it is with much regret that we must inform you all of Didz Hammond's departure from The Cooper Temple Clause. Though the news saddens us as much as we are sure it does you, we feel it is important to reassure everyone that things ended amicably and there is no bad feelings between anyone concerned. A brother has left the family home, though he shall never leave the family. We extend to him our love and wish him the best, and hope all of you can join us in lending him your support for the future.

However Hammond is credited as playing bass on two of Make This Your Own's eleven tracks; "Damage" and "What Have You Gone And Done".

Make This Your Own

After many setbacks including a change in record label, and the loss of Didz Hammond, the band's third album was significantly delayed. It was finally released on 22 January 2007 and entitled Make This Your Own. It included the singles "Damage", "Homo Sapiens", "Waiting Game" and "Head". The album saw Fisher and Bellamy having a greater role in vocals, and featured fewer electronic influences than the previous album.

The Split

The band announced they had split up in late April 2007, following Fisher's decision to leave. The band had been due to headline the AKG Unsigned Heroes gig at London's KOKO in Camden later in the same week. During the week prior to the official split, the band had been scheduled to perform at Underworld and Dingwalls as part of the Camden Crawl. These two appearances were cancelled, however, with the band citing exhaustion as the reason. It is not clear whether the split was also a factor in the cancellations. The following post was made on the band's website,^[6] announcing the split:

“

It is with a sad and heavy heart that I must announce that The Cooper Temple Clause have decided to split up. Last week I informed the rest of the boys that I would be leaving the band. As I hope you will all be able to understand, it was perhaps the most difficult decision I have ever had to make. When the only life you have ever known is that of your five best friends and the music you make, the thought of leaving that life is not one to be considered lightly and I assure you all that the decision was not an easy one to make. Nonetheless, it was something I felt I had to do. I can only apologise from the bottom of my heart for the disappointment this will undoubtedly cause many of you. In the wake of this decision the rest of the boys agreed to call it a day and pursue other interests. Friendships are well and truly intact and the love very much remains within the camp. We would like to take this moment to thank all of you for your support over the years and the love and acceptance you have shown us. It has been an honour to be your servants, for that is what we have been. A band is nothing without its fans, without the people who come to the shows, buy the albums and make us feel that we're not alone in the world, that there are other people out there who see the world as we do in all its wonder and absurdity. People can say what they like about The Cooper Temple Clause, but the unswerving loyalty and dedication of you guys, the ones who really matter, can never be called into question. From the very beginning you have shone brighter than we could have ever hoped, from the street teams to the forum administrators, from those of you who saw us in the Bull and Gate to those who made the earth shake at Fuji Rock on the other side of the world; we thank you all, each and every one of you. When we stood as children in front of our mirrors brandishing tennis rackets and singing into upturned golf clubs, never did we imagine the fantastic adventure we would embark upon thanks to you, the greatest fans in the world. We can only hope that we touched your hearts as much as you have ours. Take heart and carry on, dear Team. Never be afraid to be yourselves, to be individuals, to fly in the face of common sense and listen to your hearts, to do it your own way. We made a bunch of albums. We played a bunch of shows. We met a bunch of people who changed our lives forever. We love you all. Thank you so much. Yours, in absence of a cheesy line from one of our own songs to end this post, Dan The Cooper Temple Clause

”

In a joint statement the rest of the band paid tribute to Fisher, stating that "Dan has left the family home, but he has not left the family".

Influences

The Cooper Temple Clause had been associated by some with the revival of prog-rock, although their influences also included the post-hardcore style of At the Drive-In, as well as the typical 1990s-era Britpop sound of bands such as Blur and Oasis. Additionally, the band had been increasingly incorporating electronic music into their sound and cited Radiohead as a major influence, and their debut album was compared favourably to Mansun's Six.

The Cooper Temple Clause used and experimented with many different instruments, forming a unique part of their sound.

Members

• Tom Bellamy - Guitar, Bass, Synthesizer, Keyboard, Trumpet, Programming, Samples, Melodica, Harmonica, Percussion, Toy Piano, Bow, Decks, FX/Beats, Vocals and Lyrics.
• Daniel Fisher - Guitar, Bass, Vocals and Lyrics.
• Ben Gautrey - Lead vocals, Guitar, Bass and Keyboard.
• Jon Harper - Drums, Percussion and Backing vocals. He has endorsements with Gretsch Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Pro-mark drumsticks, Roland V-Drums and Protection Racket cases. After the Cooper Temple Clause split he became a session drummer in the Brazilian band Cansei de Ser Sexy (CSS) when Adriano Cintra took the place of Iracema Trevisan as bassist, after she left in March 2008. In November 2009 Harper joined the Chris Corner (ex-Sneaker Pimps) project IAMX as a member of the live band for a session that lasted until July 2010. Harper is also a tutor and lecturer at the Bristol Institute of Modern Music.
• Kieran Mahon - Keyboard, Piano, Synthesizer, Organ, Hammond Organ, Farfisa, Guitar, Bass and Backing vocals. Since leaving the band, Mahon completed an undergraduate degree in at Queen Mary, University of London, and is currently completing an Architectural History MA at University College London.
• Didz Hammond - Bass, Synthesizer, Samples, Vocoder, Guitar and Vocals. (left in 2005)

Discography

Singles and EPs

Date	Title (UK Singles Chart placing[3])
July 2000	"Crayon Demos"
March 2001	"The Hardware EP"
March 2001	"Way Out West"
June 2001	"The Warfare EP"
July 2001	"The Hardware EP + The Warfare EP"
September 2001	"Let's Kill Music" (#41)
January 2002	"Film-Maker" / "Been Training Dogs" (#20)
May 2002	"Who Needs Enemies?" (#22)
September 2002	"A.I.M."
September 2003	"Promises, Promises" (#19)
November 2003	"Blind Pilots" (#37)
May 2006	"Damage"
October 2006	"Homo Sapiens" (#36)
January 2007	"Waiting Game" (#41)
April 2007	"Head"

Albums

• See This Through and Leave (2002) #28
• Kick Up The Fire, And Let The Flames Break Loose (2003) #5
• Make This Your Own (2007) #33

References

1. ^ Chris, Leadbeater (23 April 2002). "Pilgrims Gather at the Temple". Evening Standard. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/article-415692-details/Pilgrims+gather+at+the+Temple/article.do. Retrieved 2007-08-21. 
2. ^ "Ask The Cooper Temple Clause". 2004. http://www.supersweet.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=251&Itemid=30. Retrieved 2008-10-05. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 120. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 
4. ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-84514069.html
5. ^ Hammond, David (15 April 2005). "Message from Didx". www.thecoopertempleclause.com. http://www.coopertempleclause.co.uk/news/?id=581. Retrieved 2007-09-16. 
6. ^ Fisher, Daniel (24 April 2007). "Goodbye". www.thecoopertempleclause.com. http://www.coopertempleclause.co.uk/news/?id=798. Retrieved 2007-09-16. 

External links

• Audiojunkies Interview with The Cooper Temple Clause
• TheMusicZine interview
• MusicEmissions Interview
• I Like Music interview (December 2006)
• The Cooper Temple Clause video interview - January 2007
• Foxholski - TCTC Interviews
• SUPERSWEET interview (whole band)
• SUPERSWEET interview with Jon Harper