Forming in 1987, the group's original lineup consisted of vocalist William Faircloth, guitarist Dallas Taylor, bass guitarist Dino Paredes and drummer Thomas Pierik. Faircloth, an immigrant from England, had previously sung for trio Ministry of Love, who released the
Wide Awake and Dreaming EP in 1987 on the label Underworld. Red Temple Spirits began to garner more attention in late 1989 after a promo video for "City of Millions" was shown on
MTV's
120 Minutes and they performed at the 1989
CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. With new drummer Scott McPherson, the band toured the United States in early 1990 to promote
If Tomorrow I Were Leaving for Lhasa, garnering significant press and a devoted cult fanbase, but lapsed into inactivity later that year following a serious van accident in California. Guitarist and founding member Dallas Taylor died February 10, 2023. His death was reported by the official Red Temple Spirits page in June 2023. == Discography ==