Rab Noakes is a Scottish singer-songwriter from St Andrews, United Kingdom, born in 1947 and active mainly in the 1970s. His work spans folk, folk rock, americana and acoustic-oriented songwriting, and he is associated with the UK folk-rock scene.

Career

Noakes begins recording in 1970 with Do You See The Lights, his debut solo release. He follows this with Rab Noakes in 1972 and a run of albums through the 1970s that includes Red Pump Special (1974), Never Too Late (1975) and Restless (1978). He later issues another album titled Rab Noakes in 1980, which is a separate release from the 1972 album, and continues with Under The Rain (1984), Standing Up (1995), The River Sessions (2004) and Lights Back On (2004).

Songwriting and collaborations

His best-known single is Branch, taken from Red Pump Special. He performs with Lindisfarne, who record his songs Turn a Deaf Ear on Nicely Out of Tune and Together Forever on Fog on the Tyne. Barbara Dickson also records Turn a Deaf Ear on Do Right Woman, an album on which Noakes also performs. He plays guitar and sings backing vocals on Gerry Rafferty’s first solo album, Can I Have My Money Back.

Stealers Wheel

Noakes is an early member of Stealers Wheel, but he leaves before the group signs a recording deal and does not appear on any of their released recordings.