Rab Noakes

Biography

Robert Ogilvie Noakes (13 May 1947 – 11 November 2022) was a Scottish singer-songwriter. He was at the forefront of Scottish folk music for over 50 years and recorded over 19 studio albums. He toured folk clubs and often performed at the Glasgow music festival Celtic Connections.
In 1970, Noakes released his first album, Do You See the Lights, a blend of easy-going country rock which included the songs "Too Old to Die", "Together Forever" and "Somebody Counts on Me". In 1971 he was a founding member of the folk rock band Stealers Wheel, along with Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan. He played on Rafferty's Can I Have My Money Back, notably "Mary Skeffington". He recorded with Lindisfarne in 1972 on the songs "Turn a Deaf Ear", "Nicely Out of Tune", "Together Forever" and "Fog on the Tyne". He performed with Lindisfarne for a John Peel concert and in 1995 produced the BBC Radio 2 programme The Story of Lindisfarne. One of his best-known recordings, "Branch", from his Red Pump Special album, received airplay on BBC Radio 1. Noakes' songs have been covered by Lindisfarne and Barbara Dickson.

Life and career

Noakes was born in St Andrews, Fife, on 13 May 1947 and brought up in Cupar.
In 1963, Noakes moved to London and worked for the Civil Service, where he played folk clubs at night. He returned to Scotland in 1967 and began a duo with Robin McKidd. They played their first gig at the Glasgow Folk centre. In the same year he secured a month's residency in Denmark.
Noakes released his first album, Do You See The Lights, in 1970 with a line-up that included McKidd on electric guitar and the Scottish jazz bassist Ronnie Rae. This recording included the songs "Too Old to Die", "Together Forever" and "Somebody Counts on Me".
Noakes was a founding member in 1971 of the folk rock band Stealers Wheel, along with Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan. He sang backing vocals and played on Rafferty's first solo album, Can I Have My Money Back, most notably on "Mary Skeffington", a song about Rafferty's mother. After these sessions he became an early member of Stealers Wheel but left before the release of the band's first album.
Noakes recorded and performed with Lindisfarne, whom he supported on a national tour in 1972, and recorded his songs "Turn a Deaf Ear" on their first album, Nicely Out of Tune, and "Together Forever" on their second, Fog on the Tyne. Barbara Dickson recorded "Turn a Deaf Ear" on her album Do Right Woman, on which Noakes performed.
In May 1972 the British music magazine NME reported that Noakes was to appear at the Great Western Express Lincoln Festival on 26 May that year. Other acts to perform in the "Giants of Tomorrow" marquee included Budgie, Skin Alley, Tea & Sympathy, John Martyn, Warhorse and Gnidrolog. One of Noakes's best-known recordings, "Branch", was released as a single in 1974 from his album Red Pump Special, which was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, and produced by Elliot Mazer. It had considerable airplay on BBC Radio 1 without making the UK Singles Chart.
The album Restless (1978) was produced by Terry Melcher at Starling Sounds based at Tittenhurst Park in Ascot, the former home of John Lennon and Yoko Ono and then owned by Ringo Starr. The albums Rab Noakes (1980) and Under the Rain (1984) followed, but it was not until 1994 that Standing Up appeared. Noakes subsequently toured with the Varaflames, containing Pick Withers, Rod Clements and the harmonicist Fraser Speirs.

Later career and albums

Noakes became the senior producer for music programmes on BBC Radio Scotland. He left to create the production company Neon.
In November 2007 his album Unlimited Mileage, again with the Varaflames, was released. In 2012, CDs of Standing Up Again (made in 2009) and Just in Case (recorded in 2007) were made available, having only been available to download until then.
In 2015 he released the album I'm Walking Here. It was his 19th solo album and many of the songs tell the story of his working life as a songwriter and performer. It is a double album containing 26 songs. The first set consists of new compositions that show his gift for melody and love of Americana, and includes "Out of Your Sight", influenced by Buddy Holly, a tribute to a 1920s minstrel singer, and a poignant lament for Rafferty. The second album is dominated by "interpretations" (he hated the word "covers") of songs from early Cliff Richard to Garbage and Beck, along with the skiffle standard "Freight Train", on which he was joined by Jimmie MacGregor, and a finely sung treatment of the traditional "The Two Sisters".
On 20 July 2017, he appeared on the BBC quiz programme Eggheads.

Personal life

In 1988 he met Stephanie Pordage and they married in 1998. She became his muse, manager and collaborator. They both left the BBC to set up their own production company, Neon, in 1995. Pordage died from the effects of Parkinson's disease in 2021. Noakes was diagnosed with tonsil cancer in 2015, but treatment was effective and he was back recording The Treatment Tapes in 2016. He also toured in 2017 at the Leith folk club and with a full band at Celtic Connections. In 2022 he continued to tour and work in collaboration with other singers.
Noakes died, suddenly, on 11 November 2022 at the age of 75 in hospital in Glasgow.