Tom, Kieran, 'Fish', Ben, Jon and Didz released 3 studio albums and a number of EPs and singles during their 9 year existence, of which 'Blind Pilots' was the most successful charting. with members going on to join Dirty Pretty Things, Rhysmix, and other projects.
The band first got together in 1998. Using a farmhouse turned into a studio on the outskirts of Wokingham, United Kingdom, it took the Cooper Temple Clause almost two years to record their debut album ‘See This Through And Leave’. An intense rock record, unafraid of challenging listeners and genres, it ignored scenes and fashion.
By the release of second album ‘Kick Up The Fire, Let The Flames Break Loose’ in 2003 - named after a Philip Larkin poem, again recorded reclusively in Reading, and with the minimum of record company interference - Team Cooper had become an army capable of breaking into the Top Twenty without the need for crossover radio support or heavy rotation videos. Gigs were riotous devotionals, particularly those on the UK tour with The Libertines. They played one triumphant US headline tour and a second set of arena dates in support of The Cure.
Then 2004 saw a shake-up at RCA leaving TCTC without an A&R man and with a new, unfamiliar set of faces and ears in charge who hadn’t grown up with, and therefore didn’t quite ‘get’, their isolationist methods and slash and burn musical direction. So, as the ‘Kick Up The Fire…’ campaign wound to a close there began a period of uncertainty and miscommunication between band and label. The Coopers once more holed up in their Reading pig farm to record demos for third album ‘Make This Your Own’ with long-term producer Dan Austin. After 12 uncertain months, eventually RCA re-signed the band and sent TCTC into the studio with ex-Adam & The Ants man Chris Hughes at the desk. He encouraged the band to return to their roots, when all six would swap instruments for each song and also share singing duties.
The final result 'Make This Your Own' was intended as both a commercial hit and a chance to bring ideas touched on in early B-sides and demos to fruition. Opening in familiar dancefloor rock territory with the anti-music industry rant ‘Damage’, it soon swerves into unmapped musical sectors often utterly unrecognisable as a Cooper Temple Clause record.
Gone was the majority of the electronic bells and whistles in the background, relegated to B-sides. There’s radio-friendly emo pop (mostly Fisher-sung songs ‘What Have You Gone And Done’ and ‘Waiting Game’), soulful Dears-gone-Erasure tunes (mostly Tom-sung tracks ‘Connect’ and ‘Isn’t It Strange’), Lilac Time cool folk (‘Take Comfort’), laptop blip-rock (‘Once More With Feeling’) and dark 80s krautonica (‘Head’) on here. Inevitably, many fans and indeed RCA were not quite sure what to make of the Nu Coopers realm. At the same time TCTC were still reeling from the unexpected departure of bassist, new dad and mental crowd-surfing nutjob Didz Hammond to join Carl Barât’s new band Dirty Pretty Things, whose contributions to 'Damage', 'Homo Sapiens', and 'Once More With Feeling' were still used 2 years after his departure.
After two years with no new material, the fanbase were enthusiastic for an internet-only release of ‘Damage’ in summer 2005. Some months later the band were signed to Sanctuary Records; 'Make This Your Own' finally appeared 2 years late in early 2007, preceded by Homo Sapiens and nearly a year after it had leaked to fans. The album and its singles flopped in comparison to the chart storming and arguably more challengingly creative KUTFALTFBL.
The band announced they would be going their separate ways on 24th April 2007, with Tom continuing his DJing side projects Rhysmix and Losers.
Tom Bellamy - Guitar, Bass, Synthesizer, Keyboard, Trumpet, Programming, Samples, Melodica, Harmonica, Percussion, Toy Piano, Bow, Decks, FX/Beats, Vocals & Lyrics.
Daniel Fisher - Guitar, Bass, Vocals & Lyrics.
Ben Gautrey - Guitar, Bass, Keyboards & Vocals.
Jon Harper - Drums, Gretsch Drums, DW Snares, Sabian Cymbals, Percussion & Backing vocals.
Kieran Mahon - Keyboard, Piano, Synthesizer, Organ, Hammond Organ, Farfisa, Guitar, Bass & Backing vocals.
Didz Hammond - Bass, Synthesizer, Samples, Vocoder, Guitar & Vocals. (Left 2005)
Once More With Feeling
The Cooper Temple Clause Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you realise we're in this together?
It's difficult to think you love one another at all
Think twice, stand back, turn around, and come back
Start again, once again, once more with feeling
You're on the same side, so why are you fighting?
Think twice, stand back, turn around, and come back
Start again, once again, once more with feeling
Can't you see the way you talk to each other?
Don't you realise we're in this together?
The Cooper Temple Clause's song "Once More With Feeling" is a poignant ballad about the importance of unity and understanding in relationships. The lyrics suggest that despite sharing the same blood and being on the same side, people still find it difficult to express love and support towards each other. The singer implores us to think twice before we engage with others, to stand back and reconsider the situation before reacting. The repeated line "once again, once more with feeling" is a reminder that it's never too late to start over, to make amends, and to express love and appreciation for each other.
The lyrics in the song are powerful and thought-provoking, leaving listeners to consider their own relationships and how they communicate with others. It highlights how easy it is to fall into negative patterns of interaction, emphasizing the importance of breaking that cycle and finding a way to reconnect. It's a song that encourages empathy, listening, and understanding for one another, encouraging us to find ways to support each other and to reinforce the idea that we are all in this together.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't you see the way you talk to each other?
Notice how you speak to one another, it reveals the state of your relationship.
Don't you realise we're in this together?
We are all united and responsible for each other's well-being, recognize that.
It's difficult to think you love one another at all
The way you treat each other seems to lack love, it's hard to believe there is any.
Think twice, stand back, turn around, and come back
Reflect, take a break, reconsider, and then return with a fresh attitude.
Start again, once again, once more with feeling
Begin anew, repeat the process, but this time approach it with sincerity and passion.
You're on the same side, so why are you fighting?
You have a common goal, so why let your differences divide you and cause conflict?
We share the same blood, you're loved that you'll ever know
We are family, bound by blood and unconditional love that surpasses our understanding.
Contributed by Leah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.