Hiseman & Clarke were in Colosseum together and formed Tempest in 1973. For the band's first eponymous album (originally called John Hiseman's Tempest), the lineup was completed by Alan Holdsworth on guitar, and Paul Williams on keys and vocals.
Later in Tempest's brief history, they were joined by Ollie Halsall who had begun playing guitar in Patto. With two guitarists the band played a number of shows including a June 1973 show at the Golder's Green Hippodrome that was released as a bootleg called "Live in London 1974" . By the time the second album was recorded, 1974's "Living in Fear" , the band was down to a trio comprised of Hiseman, Clarke, & Halsall; reportedly, Holdsman didn't like playing alongside another guitar player. The band broke up shortly after