Red Temple Spirits

Red Temple Spirits

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1987 in Los Angeles, California, United States
Founder	William Faircloth, Dallas Taylor, Dino Paredes, Thomas Pierik
Defunct	1992
Headquarters	Los Angeles , United States
Products	Music albums and singles

Red Temple Spirits was a post-punk group originating from Los Angeles, California, established in 1987.

History

The band came together in 1987 with its founding members: vocalist William Faircloth, guitarist Dallas Taylor, bassist Dino Paredes, and drummer Thomas Pierik. Faircloth, who had emigrated from England, was previously the frontman for Ministry of Love, known for their 1987 EP Wide Awake and Dreaming. Paredes had ties to Psi Com, while both Pierik and Taylor had been part of the Web.

Their name drew inspiration from Roky Erickson's track "Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer)." Musically, they fused post-punk styles reminiscent of bands like the Cure and Savage Republic with psychedelic rock influences akin to Pink Floyd, incorporating themes from Native American and Tibetan spiritual traditions.

Red Temple Spirits issued two albums via Nate Starkman & Son, with distribution handled by Fundamental Records: the double LP Dancing to Restore an Eclipsed Moon released in 1988 and If Tomorrow I Were Leaving for Lhasa, I Wouldn't Stay a Minute More... in 1989. Their only single—a limited release on Independent Project Records supporting Tibet House—contained the tracks "New Land" and "Exodus from Lhasa."

Towards the end of 1989, the band received attention through an MTV 120 Minutes promotional spot for "City of Millions" and appeared at the CMJ Music Marathon. After bringing in drummer Scott McPherson, they toured across the United States in early 1990 to promote their sophomore album, cultivating a dedicated cult audience. Their activities halted later that year following a severe van accident; by 1992, the group dissolved as Faircloth and Taylor moved to Sedona, Arizona.

Dino Paredes shifted his career towards the music business as an art director for labels such as Triple X and Priority Records before advancing to vice president of A&R at Rick Rubin's American Recordings, where he signed notable artists including System of a Down and Wesley Willis.

In Sedona, Faircloth and Taylor produced a cassette-only album titled The Alien Host under the name Invisible Opera Company of Tibet, released by Parasol Records in 1996. The duo briefly resurrected Red Temple Spirits in 1998 with keyboardist Alex Koffler but did not issue any new recordings.

Although there was an attempt to reform the band in 2007, it did not lead to fresh material. Independent Project Records remastered and re-released their first two albums as a limited-edition box set in 2013, featuring additional demo tracks. Subsequently, Mannequin Records issued vinyl editions of both albums in Germany in 2014.

Guitarist and co-founder Dallas Taylor passed away on February 10, 2023.

Studio albums

• Dancing to Restore an Eclipsed Moon (1988, Nate Starkman & Son/Fundamental; reissued on vinyl in Germany by Mannequin Records – MNQ 047 in 2014)
• If Tomorrow I Were Leaving for Lhasa, I Wouldn't Stay a Minute More... (1989, Nate Starkman & Son/Fundamental; German vinyl reissue by Mannequin Records – MNQ 048 in 2014)

Singles

• "New Land"/"Exodus from Lhasa" 7" (1989, Independent Project Records)

Compilation albums

• Red Temple Spirits box set (2013, Independent Project Records)