Friday, March 02, 2007

Presented by phantom 2

Rab Noakes "Do You See The Lights" 1970


A gift for writing hook-laden songs and sensitively interpreting the work of American singer/songwriters has brought Rab Noakes to the forefront of Scottish pop music. His 1970 debut album, Do You See the Lights, included "Together Forever," which became a folk-pop hit for Lindisfarne. His second album, Rab Noakes, produced by early Dylan producer Bob Johnston, released in 1972, featured guest vocalist Gerry Rafferty. Noakes subsequently played guitar and sang background vocals on Rafferty's debut album, Can I Have My Money Back. Although he agreed to form a band, Steeler's Wheel, with Rafferty, he left the band to resume his solo career before the group recorded their Top Ten hit "Stuck in the Middle With You." Noakes has continued to record on his own. His third solo effort, Red Pump Special, released in 1973, was recorded in Nashville and produced by Elliot Mazer. His fifth album, Restless, was released on Ringo Starr's label, Ring O'Records, in 1978. Although he released the equally memorable albums Rab Noakes in 1980 and Under the Rain in 1983, he didn't release another album until 1994 when he recorded Standing Up, a scaled-down recording featuring his solo guitar and vocals. Since the album's release, Noakes has toured with a band, the Varaflames, featuring ex-Dire Straits drummer Pick Withers, Lindisfarne guitarist/bassist Rod Clements, and harmonica player Fraser Spiers. In a review of the band's performance at the Eaglesham Roots 'n' Bluegrass Festival in June 1999, the Herald wrote that the set was "a roots festival in itself as (Noakes) collected Sam Cooke, Rufus Thomas, Fred Rose, Dylan, early Motown, and Beck voodoo blues and a handful of his best originals into a homogenous, hugely satisfying, style."

After working as music director for the BBC television series Your Cheatin' Heart, Noakes accepted a position as senior executive producer for BBC Radio Scotland. He left the post to form his own production company, Neon, which he runs with personal and business partner Stephanie Pordage. In January 2000, Noakes appeared on the multi-artist compilation, People on the Highway: A $Bert Jansch Encomium}. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide

6 Comments:

Blogger Lizardson said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

02 March, 2007 21:32  
Blogger rock of lamb said...

great album! I wish I could find the second one!

thanks

05 March, 2007 13:07  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice album. Thanks.

13 March, 2007 11:10  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

emozionale, delicato & bucolico...grazie mille!!!!

01 December, 2007 23:32  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Have rare second album on A&M and Red Pump Special by Rab Noakes both of which I plan to put on CD. I'd like to share these with all of you but don't know how. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

11 August, 2008 03:01  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Many thanks for making this available - Rab Noakes is a hard guy to find on the web.

He used to work in our local Dole Office back in the late 60s. I guess he could 'see the lights' cos he eventually got out! :)

Whilst not his best album - personally I think the self-titled album is better - it does reflect what he is about. Now if only some of his other albums could surface....

02 November, 2008 07:49  

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