The Second Thoughts - The Strange Brew

By Nick Warburton

Original line up, formed February 1963:

Patrick Campbell-Lyons (lead vocals)
Tony Duhig (lead guitar)
Mickey Holmes (bass)
Bill Hope (drums)

Ealing, Middlesex band, The Second Thoughts were formed around February 1963 and gave birth to a number of notable bands in the late 1960s – Thunderclap Newman, Nirvana, July and Jade Warrior.

The Second Thoughts early 1964, left to right Mickey Holmes, Patrick Campbell-Lyons, Vic Griffiths (on vehicle), Tony Duhig, Bill Hope

Lead singer Patrick Campbell-Lyons (b. 13 July 1943, Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland) had been active on the local scene for several years with The Teenbeats after arriving in the area from Ireland in the summer of 1961.

Campbell-Lyons made plans to form a new group after running into lead guitarist Tony Duhig (b. 18 September 1941, Acton, Middlesex; d. 11 November 1990), drummer Bill Hope and bass player Mickey Holmes in early 1963.

Holmes had previously been a member of The Krewsaders alongside future Fleetwood Mac bass player John McVie and his cousin, rhythm guitarist Peter Carney, who went on to play with Geno Washington’s Ram Jam Band among others.

Named by Holmes, one of The Second Thoughts’ first gigs was opening for The Rolling Stones at their farewell gig at the Ealing Club on 2 March 1963.

Basing themselves on The Big Three and The High Numbers (aka The Who), the trio’s blues-rock required a harmonica player and Campbell-Lyons recruited his friend from Brentford, Middlesex, Vic Griffiths, who doubled up on rhythm guitar, around Christmas 1963.

The Second Thoughts would play at the Ealing Club regularly and from spring to summer 1964 would hold down a Sunday residency before landing another house gig in central London at the Studio ’51 Club in Leicester Square.

Around July 1964, the band expanded the line up by adding Duhig’s friend, and the band’s roadie, Jon Field (b. 5 July 1940, Harrow, Middlesex) on organ and congas while Holmes brought in his former band mate from The Krewsaders, drummer John “Speedy” Keen (b. 29 March 1945, Ealing, Middlesex; d. 12 March 2002) to replace Bill Hope.

During spring 1965, the band cut some tracks at RG Jones studio in Morden, Surrey near Wimbledon – the Wilbur Harrison classic “Let’s Get Together” and T J Arnall’s “Cocaine”.

The Second Thoughts 1965 (Left to right: “Speedy” John Keen, Vic Griffiths, Tony Duhig, Jon Field, Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Mickey Holmes. Used with kind permission of Patrick Campbell-Lyons, from Psychedelic Days)

They also started to play more widely across the Southeast. This included playing US airforce bases in Oxfordshire with Percy Sledge, John Lee Hooker and Jimmy James & The Vagabonds and a show on the Isle of Wight.

Sometime around June/July 1965, while playing at Beat City on Oxford Street, the band was approached by French singer Teddy Raye, who wanted to hire a British backing group for a month initially in Madrid.

The Frenchman, however, didn’t want Patrick Campbell-Lyons or Vic Griffiths for the trip so the band split into two factions. Also, just before leaving England, Keen left and ended up travelling to Italy where he replaced John Kerrison in The Eccentrics. His place was taken by drummer Chris Jackson from rival Ealing outfit, The Tomcats.

Renamed Los Tomcats, the band proved to be the main attraction rather than Raye and made plans to return in August with another former Tomcat, singer/rhythm guitarist Tom Newman.

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Back in Spain, the band played northern cities like Oviedo and also returned to Madrid but Holmes soon grew tired of living out of a suitcase and came back to the UK. Another former Tomcat, bass player Alan James stepped into his shoes.

Los Tomcats continued working in Spain for a year before returning to England in early 1967 and changing name to July. Duhig and Field would subsequently leave the band and form Jade Warrior in the late 1960s.

Remaining members, Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Vic Griffiths meanwhile formed a new version of The Second Thoughts in London.

During late July they were joined by a returning Mickey Holmes but when the band was offered work at the Star Club in Hamburg, Holmes left to move into session work and the group brought in new bass player Chris Holmes.

Out in Germany, The Second Thoughts gigged until late October before finally splitting.

Patrick Campbell-Lyons remained in Hamburg and worked with Swedish band, Lucifer & The Angels, which took him to Sweden. In Stockholm, he then joined local group, The Merrymen but became ill.

Returning to England in August 1966, he joined forces with former member Chris Thomas in the duo Hat & Tie. The pair recorded a lone single before splitting soon after and Campbell-Lyons went on to form Nirvana.

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Two former members of The Second Thoughts found huge success after the band finally split – Chris Thomas became a noted producer while John “Speedy” Keen formed Thunderclap Newman and scored an international hit with “Something In The Air”.

Advertised gigs:

2 March 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (support Rolling Stones on their last gig at this venue)
19 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
26 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
3 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
10 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
17 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
24 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
31 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
7 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
14 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
21 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
28 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
5 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
10 July 1964 – Attic, Hounslow, Middlesex with Erky Grant & The Tonetts and The Tempests
11 July 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
12 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
19 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
25 July 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
25 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (played both weekend nights)
26 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
29 July 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, London
15 August 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
22 August 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
22 August 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London with The Tridents
8 September 1964 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, Middlesex
9 September 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, London
12 September 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, London
16 September 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
16 September 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, London
18 September 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London
19 September 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
20 September 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London
22 September 1964 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead with Dave Davani & The D-Men with Beryl
23 September 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, London
3 October 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
8 October 1964 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex with The Flexmen
12 October 1964 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead with John Lee Hooker
16 October 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London
17 October 1964 – Witchdoctor, Hastings, East Sussex with Four Plus 1
18 October 1964 – Watford Trade Hall, Watford, Hertfordshire
19 October 1964 – Marquee, London
20 October 1964 – 100 Club, London with The Tridents
22 October 1964 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex with The Challengers, Liverpool Lads and Bob Harvey
23 October 1964 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, Middlesex
23 October 1964 – Ealing Technical College, Ealing, Middlesex
24 October 1964 – Fratton Hall, Portsmouth, Hants
24 October 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London with Impacts (All Nighter)
31 October 1964 – Twyford School, Acton, Middlesex
22 November 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London
26 November 1964 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex with Frankie Reid & The Casuals
13 December 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London
29 December 1964 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead with Alexis Korner
1 January 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London
3 January 1965 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hants with Leeways with Belinda
12 January 1965 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, Middlesex
22 January 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London
31 January 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London
11 February 1965 – Bromel Club, Bromley, Kent
26 February 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London
4 March 1965 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
25 July 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London
31 July 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London
15 August 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, London
24 September 1965 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex with Bob Grant

Gigs taken from the Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette and Melody Maker. Thanks to Mickey Holmes and Patrick Campbell-Lyons.

I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email: Warchive@aol.com