One would suppose playing rock and roll in whatever form amounts to drinking from the fountain of youth. If so, the band known as Crack of Dawn has been drinking with both hands for more than 40 years.
They’ve kept the spirit of good-time R&B/Soul Music going since their days in
The words are those of
The long-time members admit to introducing some of the sounds of the West Indies to mix with the R&B emanating through the
Says Daley, “Most of us are of West Indian descent. We grew up on music without borders; we listened to everything that was good and rhythmic, so it was no stretch for us to incorporate R&B, funk, reggae and Canadiana into our music.
When Crack of Dawn was formed, says Jones, “Several members in the group were recent immigrants from the islands, so were more deeply exposed to those island influences, also including a heavy dose of North American music. The transition between a reggae vibe and R&B wasn’t that difficult, which we prove when we do the song Boobie Ruby live.”
Indeed, Boobie Ruby was released last year, and is delighting all who listen.
Daley and Jones consider themselves ‘pathfinders’ more than anything else.
“We certainly played at venues that weren’t previously open to other young black groups at the time,” says Jones. “I still remember playing at the Granite club in
“I also remember playing for bikers (when), our bass player at the time came on stage in his ‘tighty whities’ which made the mob go wild, it was very exciting and they enjoyed our music and we enjoyed playing for them.”
Daley: “We were the first black group to be signed to a major label in
In picking a song of which the band is proudest, Board Walking from Crack of Dawn’s first album with Columbia Records, tops Jones list.
Daley cites the Spotlight album “and the track I’m most impressed with is Crack Of Dawn, a very great, feel-good song”
Daley concurs: “I moved here and loved the beach, I was never able to put my feet in
Crack of Dawn says the Spotlight album is sparking a
“We’re overjoyed by the response” to the album released in March, and is being distributed through Pheremone Records/Universal across
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