{{Short description|Scottish musician (1947–2022)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist |name = Rab Noakes |image = Rabnoakes.pk (1).jpg |caption = Noakes at the Oran Mor, Glasgow, 2010 |background = solo_singer |birth_name = Robert Ogilvie Noakes |birth_date = {{Birth date|1947|5|13|df=yes}} |birth_place = St Andrews, Fife, Scotland |death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|11|11|1947|5|13|df=yes}} |death_place = Glasgow, Scotland |instrument = Vocals, guitar, keyboards |genre = Folk, country |occupation = Singer-songwriter, musician, record producer |years_active = 1970–2022 |label = Neon Media production |associated_acts = }} '''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<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rab-noakes-mn0000865654 |title=Rab Noakes |author=Harris, Craig |website=AllMusic |access-date=4 June 2010}}</ref><ref name="Obits">{{cite news |last=Denselow |first=Robin |author-link=Robin Denselow |title=Rab Noakes obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/nov/21/rab-noakes-obituary |work=The Guardian |date=21 November 2022}}<br>- {{cite news |last=Shepherd |first=Fiona |title=Rab Noakes, respected Scottish singer-songwriter |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/scotsman-obituaries-rab-noakes-respected-scottish-singer-songwriter-3925712 |work=The Scotsman |date=21 November 2022}}</ref> and brought up in Cupar.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://projects.handsupfortrad.scot/hall-of-fame/rab-noakes/ |title=Rab Noakes |website=Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame |publisher=Hands Up for Trad project |date=26 September 2017 }}</ref>
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<ref name="AMG"/> 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.<ref name="AMG"/>
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.<ref>{{cite book |first=John | last=Tobler |year=1992 |title= NME Rock 'N' Roll Years |edition=1st |publisher=Reed International Books Ltd |location=London | page=238 |id=CN 5585}}</ref> One of Noakes's best-known recordings, "Branch", was released as a single in 1974 from his album ''Red Pump Special'',<ref name="AMG"/> 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.<ref name="AMG"/> 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.<ref name="AMG"/> He left to create the production company Neon.<ref name="AMG"/>
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".<ref>{{cite news |title=Rab Noakes: I'm Walkin' Here review – effortlessly connecting pop and folk |url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/oct/15/rab-noakes-im-walkin-here-review |newspaper=The Guardian |date=15 October 2015 |access-date=16 December 2015 |first=Robin |last=Denselow}}</ref>
On 20 July 2017, he appeared on the BBC quiz programme ''Eggheads''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08yx5wh |title=BBC Two - Eggheads, Series 19, Episode 13 |publisher=BBC |accessdate=20 May 2022}}</ref>
==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.<ref name="Obits"/><ref>{{cite news |last=MacDonald |first=Ben |title=Rab Noakes tributes paid as Fife music legend dies |url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fife/3877105/rab-noakes-dead-tributes/ |access-date=11 November 2022 |publisher=The Courier |date=11 November 2022 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
==Albums (including reissues)== {|class="wikitable" width="75%" !width="10%" |Date !width="30%" |Artist !width="15%" |Label !width="15%" |Cat. # !width="30%" |Name |- |1970 |Rab Noakes |Decca |SKL 5061 |''Do You See The Lights?'' |- |1972 |Rab Noakes |A&M |AMLS 68119 |''Rab Noakes'' |- |1974 |Rab Noakes |Warner Brothers |BS 2777 |''Red Pump Special'' |- |1975 |Rab Noakes |Warner Brothers |K56114 |''Never Too Late'' |- |1978 |Rab Noakes |Ringo O' |2339 201 |''Restless'' |- |1980 |Rab Noakes |MCA |MCAC 3251 |''Rab Noakes'' |- |1984 |Rab Noakes |Black Crow |(CD)CRO 207 |''Under The Rain'' |- |1988 | |Black Crow |(CD)CRO 217 |''Woody Lives!'' |- |1995 |Rab Noakes |Mediart Music |MDMCD 003 |''Standing Up'' |- |2000 |The Varaflames |Neon |NEONCD001 |''Throwing Shapes'' |- |2001 |Rab Noakes With Fraser Speirs |Neon |NEONCD002 |''Lights Back On'' |- |2002 |Rab Noakes |Neon |NEONCD004 |''Demos And Rarities Volume 1'' |- |2004 |Rab Noakes |River Records |RIVERCD003 |''The River Sessions'' |- |2004 |The Varaflames |River Records |RIVERCD042 |''Throwing Shapes'' (Re-issue) |- |2004 |Rab Noakes With Fraser Speirs |River Records |RIVERCD043 |''Lights Back On'' (Re-issue) |- |2007 |Rab Noakes |Neon |NEONCD007 |''Standing Up'' (Re-issue) |- |2007 |Rab Noakes and the Varaflames |Neon |NEONCD009 |''Unlimited Mileage'' |- |2008 |Rab Noakes |Neon |NEONCD010 |''Do You See The Lights?'' (Re-Issue) |- |2012 |Rab Noakes |Neon |NEONCD011 |''Just in Case Songs Of Boudleaux & Felice Bryant'' |- |2012 |Rab Noakes |Neon |NEONCD012 |''Live at the Reid Hall Edinburgh 2005'' |- |2012 |Rab Noakes |Neon |NEONCD013 |''Standing Up Again'' |- |2013 |Rab Noakes |Warner |WPCR15119 |''Red Pump Special'' (Re-issue) |- |2013 |Rab Noakes |Warner |WPCR15120 |''Never Too Late'' |- |2013 |Rab Noakes |Neon |NEONCD014 |''Demos And Rarities Volume 2 Adventures with Gerry Rafferty'' |- |2013 |Rab Noakes |Neon |NEONCD015 |''Red Pump Special – 40th Anniversary Edition'' |- |2013 |Rab Noakes |Universal |UICY75904 |''Rab Noakes'' (1972 Album Re-issue) |- |2014 |Barbara Dickson & Rab Noakes |Neon |NEONCD016 |''Reunited EP'' |- |2015 |Rab Noakes |Neon |NEONCD017 |''I'm Walkin' Here'' |- |2018 |Rab Noakes |Neon |NEONCD021 |''Welcome to Anniversaryville'' |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Commons-inline}} *[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p19607|pure_url=yes}} Rab Noakes] at Allmusic * {{discogs artist|Rab Noakes}} * {{imdb name|5441810}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Noakes, Rab}} Category:1947 births Category:2022 deaths Category:People from St Andrews Category:Scottish singer-songwriters Category:People from Cupar Category:Scottish male songwriters Category:Decca Records artists Category:Warner Records artists Category:A&M Records artists Category:Stealers Wheel members