Rab Noakes played a brilliant gig for David Mundell / Mundell Music at Backstage at The Green Hotel, Kinross on Friday 6th November. A s that included old and new.olo acoustic performance with a two set show that included old and new. New songs have come from Rab’s superb new CD release ‘I’m Walkin’ Here’. Two songs that have stuck in my head since last night are ‘(Don’t Say) Money Doesn’t Matter’ and ‘Your Clear White Light’.

2015 has been eventful in unexpected ways and has not quite been the continuation to 2014 that was anticipated. Later in the year Rab’s most-recent, 21st Century Skiffle, recordings will be issued as a double-CD entitled I’m walkin’ here.

I’m walkin’ here will feature new songs many of which have been cited in reviews and attracted positive comment from audience and journalists alike.

This album was made in John Cavanagh’s Muirend studio and features an interesting collection of musicians (mostly selected by John) including Una McGlone, Stu Brown, Harry Hussey and Ula Zoola. Rab is joined by a stellar array of singers including Jill Jackson, Roddy Hart, Emma Pollock, Jimmie Macgregor, Alice Marra and Hilary Brooks.

As far as recordings go 2014 saw the CD release of two albums plus one EP.

The 40th anniversary of Red Pump Special was issued, along with Demos and Rarities Vol.2 – adventures with Gerry Rafferty. The EP Reunited, a performance-based clutch of songs with Barbara Dickson, is also now available.

So, 2014 was busy and productive for Rab. A sold-out January concert at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections featured the whole of the 1974 album Red Pump Special in the first half followed by selections from his newer songs in the second. This show was also delivered in a more stripped-down version in June.
2014 contained many Rab solo shows and a couple with harmonica-ace and occasional collaborator Fraser Speirs.

Not to mention the creative collaborations. These include the Reunited tour with Barbara Dickson. He has also been touring with acclaimed Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes with a variation on their Love, Ballads and Murder show.

In January 2015 Rab played a significant guest role in the prestigious opening concert at Celtic Connections, an orchestration of Martyn Bennett’s acclaimed Grit album by Greg Lawson.

Rab’s first fully-professional engagements were in 1967. Almost 50 years and more than 20 albums later he remains a vital, popular, prolific and acclaimed songwriter and performer.

Constant highlights in his performing life have been a continually well-received series of solo shows plus the production of, and performance in, celebratory commemorative concerts on Gerry Rafferty and Michael Marra.

Rab is hard to pin down in terms of influences. He is an accomplished songwriter whose songs reflect his lifelong interest in the popular song, in folk song and in songwriting. Alongside his acclaimed performance skills as applied to his own compositions his celebrated interpretations feature songs from sources as diverse as Elizabeth Cotten to Beck Hansen.

His professional life embraces such activities as media production. Rab is also elected to the Executive Committee of the Musicians’ Union so, at times, he’ll be representing the MU membership somewhere in the world.

Rab’s first album Do you see the lights? was released in 1970. Thirty years later in the year 2000 he, along with his wife Stephy, formed their own record label, Neon, and produced a couple of new releases.  Before he and Stephy set up Neon in 1995 he spent an eight-year spell at the BBC where he produced music and entertainment shows radio in Manchester for Network Radio and subsequently headed the entertainment department at Radio Scotland. A formal job in that medium was appropriate as the radio had played a major part in Noakes’s creative development from an early age.

A relationship with Gerry Rafferty continued from the time Rab was a founder member of Stealers Wheel. He played guitar on one of Rafferty’s later albums, Over my Head.

So, further into the 21st century you’ll most likely find Rab on the road, playing in a town near you, either solo or in one of his creative collaborations.

It’ll be some time yet until he stops making songs, TV and radio programmes or some other creative noise.

Rab Noakes

Rab Noakes

Rab Noakes

Rab Noakes