Regarded as pioneers for Black bands in the Toronto club scene, The Crack of Dawn kicked down doors as they walked through them. The band formed in the mid 70s by siblings Grant Gabriel and Jackie Gabriel, and joined by Trevor Daley, Carl Otway, Rupert Harvey, Mark Smith and Alvin Jones. When the siblings left the group, four new members were added including Carl Harvey, Rupert Harvey’s brother, Glen Ricketts on vocals, Jacek Sobotta and Dwight Gabriel. Mixing their Jamaican roots with soul, funk, and their unstoppable horn section, The Crack of Dawn broke open the Canadian music scene.

Their fusion sound helped them to become one of the first black bands to play in many of the Toronto clubs. They became known in the district and in Little Jamaica, practicing on Reggae Lane. During one of these rehearsals, they were discovered by producer Bob Gallo who signed them with Columbia Records, making them the first black Canadian band to sign with a major record label. Despite pushback from white supremacist groups, they continued to grow in popularity. They began touring the clubs, appearing on CityTV, and were played on the radio across the country. Shortly after their self-titled album Crack of Dawn was released in 1976 featuring their hit song “It’s Alright (This Feeling)”.

Unfortunately, once signed there was a push to commercialize the band and after a successful touring of Canada, the group was forced to split as the label tried to turn their horn section into a rhythm section and pushed Ricketts into a solo career. The band continued in 1980 as a four-member group with Dwight Gabriel, James McGhee, George Flint, and Gary Steed. Their album Horizons was only released in Europe and they officially disbanded in 1982.

The band would later reunite in 2012 at the Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre and following a successful show they began recording again. The band now includes original members Rupert Harvey, Carl Harvey, Carl Otway, Trevor Daley and Alvin Jones, with the addition of Alexis Baro, Bela Hajmann, Charles Sinclair and Michael Dunston on lead vocals. The current landscape of the band has group members ranging from Canadian, European and Caribbean backgrounds giving them their unique sound. Their approach to music is a collaborative affair with each member acting as producer and writer giving them a distinctive edge. They decided to re-record old tracks as well as new ones and in 2017 they released their album Spotlight.

As one of the longest running bands in Canada, The Crack of Dawn now has over 40 years under their belt.