The Cooper Temple Clause

The Cooper Temple Clause
Background information
Origin	Wokingham, Berkshire, England
Genres	Alternative rock, post-hardcore, new prog, space rock, electronic rock
Years active	1998–2007
Labels	Sanctuary
Past members	Tom Bellamy Daniel Fisher Ben Gautrey Jon Harper Kieran Mahon Didz Hammond

The Cooper Temple Clause were an English alternative rock band, formed in Wokingham, Berkshire in 1998. The band released three albums before announcing their split on 24 April 2007, following the departure of Daniel Fisher.

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 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.

The band were named after the Cowper-Temple clause,^[1] the first part of the name of which is pronounced as in the band's name. The clause was inserted into the Elementary Education Act 1870 (33 & 34 Vict. c. 75) (it became Section 14 of the Act), and was a compromise on the nature of religious education in the state elementary schools set up in England and Wales by the Act. It was named after its proposer, Liberal Member of Parliament (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]