Information/Write-up
Second Thoughts were a London, Ontario new wave band active from September 1979 to April 1982, emerging at the moment when punk’s initial shock was giving way to more melodic, literate, and rhythm-driven forms of underground rock. Rooted firmly in the Southwestern Ontario scene, the band combined tight guitar work, layered keyboards and saxophone textures, and strong vocal harmonies, positioning themselves somewhere between post-punk urgency and classic pop songcraft.
The group consisted of Mark Goodwin (lead vocals, guitar), Rob Minderman (guitar, keyboards, saxophones, backing vocals), Ralph Dame (bass, backing vocals), and Brian Hodgson (drums, backing vocals). Together, they developed a repertoire of original material that reflected both the influence of British new wave and the distinctly Canadian, DIY sensibility of the period. Their songwriting balanced introspective themes with driving rhythms, making them a compelling live act within London’s club circuit at the dawn of the 1980s.
Second Thoughts’ only contemporary release was the 7-inch single “Integrity” b/w “Wound Up”, recorded between October 1980 and February 1981 at Southwest Sound Studios Ltd. in London. The sessions were produced by Paul Steenhuis, an engineering instructor in Fanshawe College’s Music Industry Arts program, and engineered by Declan O’Doherty, whose background included work associated with Rush and Helix. Although the band recorded additional material intended for a full-length album, their record company never committed to releasing an LP, leaving much of their strongest work unheard during the band’s original lifespan.
Following the group’s dissolution in 1982, Second Thoughts slipped quietly into obscurity, known primarily through their rare single and the memories of local fans. Decades later, surviving master tapes, cassette copies, and promotional materials—preserved by band members Ralph Dame and Rob Minderman—made it possible to revisit and restore the band’s recorded legacy. In 2022, more than forty years after the original sessions, unreleased recordings were finally made available digitally, allowing listeners to hear the broader scope of what Second Thoughts had been building toward.
All publishing rights remain with the members of Second Thoughts, with SOCAN copyright spanning 1980–2022. What survives today is a concise but revealing document of a band caught between underground ambition and unrealized opportunity, representing a sharp, melodic slice of Canada’s early 1980s new wave underground.
-Robert Williston
Musicians
Mark Goodwin: lead vocals, guitar
Rob Minderman: guitar, backing vocals, soprano saxophone, keyboards
Ralph Dame: bass, backing vocals
Brian Hodgson: drums, backing vocals
Production
Produced by Paul Steenhuis
Engineered by Declan O’Doherty
Recorded, mixed, and mastered at Southwest Sound Studios Ltd., London, Ontario, Canada
Notes
Second Thoughts were active in London, Ontario from September 1979 to April 1982 and were part of the early new wave movement emerging from Southwestern Ontario. The core recording lineup consisted of Mark Goodwin, Rob Minderman, Ralph Dame, and Brian Hodgson.
“Integrity” and “Wound Up” were recorded circa October 1980 to February 1981. Producer Paul Steenhuis was an engineering instructor in the Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. Engineer Declan O’Doherty is credited with prior assistant engineering work on A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres by Rush, and with production and engineering on Helix’s debut album Breaking Loose.
Despite recording additional material intended for a full album, the band was unable to secure a commitment from their record company to release an LP on vinyl. As a result, fans never heard the unreleased master recordings during the band’s original lifespan.
Audio master tape dubs and MIDEM promotional materials survive from the collection of Ralph Dame. Additional press materials, promotional items, photographs, and gig posters are preserved from the collection of Rob Minderman. Lyric videos for unreleased tracks were later created from original cassette copies and digitally enhanced by Minderman, who also handled the digital transfer of the original 45 RPM single.
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