Crack of Dawn

Crack of Dawn was formed in Toronto in the mid-1970s by Grant Gabriel, his sister Jackie Gabriel (both originally from Springhill, Nova Scotia), Trevor Daley, Rupert Harvey, Mark Smith, Alvin Jones, and Carl Otway.[3][4] When the Gabriel siblings left shortly after, the band added four new members: Harvey's brother Carl Harvey, lead singer Glen Ricketts, Jacek Sobotta, and Dwight Gabriel.[1] Later on, Smith was briefly replaced by Andre King.[4] Crack of Dawn gained a reputation for its live shows in the city's club scene, and while rehearsing in the Little Jamaica district one day, they were discovered by American producer Bob Gallo.[5] After meeting with Gallo, the group signed a recording contract with Columbia Records in 1975.[6]

In 1976, the group released its self-titled debut album, Crack of Dawn. The album spawned the hit single "It's Alright (This Feeling)", which peaked at #45 on Canada's RPM Singles Chart.[7] Crack of Dawn supported the album with a countrywide tour and released three additional singles: "The Key", "Keep the Faith", and "Boobie Ruby". The following year, the band broke up after Columbia record executives convinced Ricketts to pursue a solo career, and attempted to convert the band from a horn section to a rhythm section.[2]

In 1980, Dwight Gabriel relaunched Crack of Dawn as a four-man group, adding three new members: James (Jay) McGee, George Flint, and Gary Steed.[4] McGee had previously recorded several hip hop singles under the stage name Mr. Q.[8]

A new album, Horizons, was released the following year by TTR Records, however, it was only distributed in the Netherlands.[4] The band released the single "If You Want to Groove" before disbanding in 1982.

Crack of Dawn reunited for a concert at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre in 2012.[2] The group began working on a new album shortly after, with a lineup consisting of previous members Otway, the Harvey brothers, Daley, and Jones, as well as newcomers Alexis Baro, Bela Hajmann, Charles Sinclair, and lead singer Michael Dunston.[2] In 2017, the group released the Spotlight album through Ford Street Records.

Crack of Dawn has the distinction of being the first Black Canadian band to sign with a major label, having joined Columbia in 1975. After the band's first break up, many members began solo careers or joined other groups. Rupert Harvey had a solo career under the stage name "Ojiji" and co-founded the reggae band Messenjah and Carl Harvey became lead guitarist for the ska and reggae band Toots and the Maytals.[2] Ricketts began a solo career in R&B, though he later relocated to Jamaica and switched to reggae, recording under the stage name "Glen Ricks". Ricketts's son Glenn Lewis saw mainstream success as a neo soul singer in the early 2000s.[9]

• Crack of Dawn (1976)
• Horizons (1981)
• Spotlight (2017)