The Golden Dawn were an

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

band from

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

, Scotland formed in 1986, who were signed to

Sarah Records Sarah Records was a British independent record label active in Bristol between 1987 and 1995, best known for its recordings of indie pop, which it released mostly on 7" singles. On reaching the catalogue number SARAH 100, the label celebrated it ...

on the strength of a 9-track demo. They had two hits on the

UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the re ...

in 1988 and 1989, with what have been described as "awesomely ragged, feedback-riddled singles". The band were dropped by Sarah Records, when the tracks the band put forward for a third single, "No Reason Why" and "Luminous", for the label were rejected. These songs would eventually be released in 2000 on

Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the bel ...

. Band members Robert Smith and Kenny Forte went on to form Christine's Cat (who released a 5"

flexi-disc The flexi disc (also known as a phonosheet, Sonosheet or Soundsheet, a trademark) is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable. ...

, "Your Love Is", on Sarah Records), while Smith later resurfaced as The Besotted (who released a single, "Kaleidoscope" on the Blam-A-Bit label) and as a member of Meth O.D.who released several singles and albums throughout the 1990s.
Ulric Kennedy revived his pre-Golden Dawn band The Catalysts following the release of their early demos as "The Catalysts EP" by Felicite Singles Club in 2002, belatedly following it up with the "Long Distance EP" (Spirophone, 2006). Kennedy has also worked as a producer, most notably on releases by Roy Moller (Book Club Records) and The Happy Couple (Matinee/Felicite).

Live performances

With the exception of their last performance, The Golden Dawn gave all their concerts a title that would be used in promotional posters and flyers.

"Death Of The Love Generation", Fury Murry's, 21 June 1987, Glasgow

Setlist: "Spring-Heeled Jack", "The Sun Never Shines For Me", "I Love You More Than Marilyn Monroe", "Chase My Blues Away", "George Hamilton's Dead", "The Sweetest Touch", "Song For Jane", "Fire".

"Playing Soft Tonight", Texas Fever, 27 November 1987, Glasgow

Setlist: "The Railway Track", "Our Children", "Chase My Blues Away", "Siren Song", "George Hamilton's Dead", "The Sweetest Touch", "I Love You More Than Marilyn Monroe", "My Secret World", "Pretty Poison", "Fire", "Spring-Heeled Jack", "Black".

"So Cool, So Right", Rooftops, 8 July 1988, Glasgow

Setlist: "The Railway Track", "Black", "Surf Song", "George Hamilton's Dead", "The Sweetest Touch", "The Sun Never Shines For Me", "No reason Why", "Siren Song", "Let's Build A Dyson Sphere", "My Secret World", "My Secret World", "Our Children", "Fire".

"Musick In Theory And Practice", Hollywood Studios, 9 October 1988, Glasgow

Setlist: "The Railway Track", "Our Children", "Surf Song", "Black", "Let's Build A Dyson Sphere", "No Reason Why", "George Hamilton's Dead", "Siren Song", "Fire".

Maryhill Community Centre, 13 May 1989, Glasgow

Setlist: "The Railway Track", "Surf Song", "Black", "George Hamilton's Dead", "Let's Build A Dyson Sphere", "Our Children", "Spring-Heeled Jack", "No Reason Why", "Fire".

Discography

Chart placings shown are from the

Demos

First Demo (1986): "Is This What We Call Love?", "Thousand Years", "Stranded" Second Demo (1987): "Spring-Heeled Jack", "Sun Never Shines For Me", "Chase My Blues Away", "I Love You More Than Marilyn Monroe", "Shining Stars", "My Secret World", "George Hamilton's Dead", "The Sweetest Touch", "Fire"

Singles

*"My Secret World" (1988), B-Sdies: "Spring-Heeled Jack", "The Railway Track",Sarah Records Catalogue Number 009 (#14) *"George Hamilton's Dead" (1989), B-Sides: "The Sweetest Touch", "Let's Build A Dyson Sphere", Sarah Records Catalogue Number 017 (#19) *"No Reason Why" (2000), B-side "Luminous" Heaven Records

Compilation appearances

*''Airspace!'' (1989) Breaking Down ("George Hamilton's Dead") *''The Velvet Dawn Flexi'' (1989) Raving Pop Blast! ("The Sun Never Shines") *''Shadow Factory'' (1989) Sarah ("My Secret World") *''Air Balloon Road'' (1989) Sarah ("My Secret World", "George Hamilton's Dead") *''Airpsace II'' (1990) Breaking Down ("No Reason Why") *''Temple Cloud'' (1990) Sarah ("George Hamilton's Dead") *''And They Call It Pop'' (19??) Fragrant ("Luminous") *''Everlasting Happiness'' (19??) ("Chase My Blues Away", "Fire")

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Golden Dawn, The Scottish rock music groups Scottish pop music groups Musical groups from Glasgow Musical groups established in 1986 1986 establishments in Scotland