rab noakes - Neon Productions, Glasgow

rab noakes
2009
" rab noakes' set was a roots festival in itself "
Rob Adams, The Herald
Rab Noakes
Biography
Rab Noakes 2009
Rab Noakes is a force to be reckoned with in the world of music in Scotland and beyond.
Rab Noakes’ first album was released in 1970. Thirty years later in the year 2000, Rab formed his own
record label and released a couple of new releases.
In the intervening years Rab Noakes has made his presence felt as a creative entity across music and
media.
From being one of the singer-songwriters of the 1970’s to his present activities with Neon Productions
he has released ten albums and toured extensively. The once sought-after hit single remained elusive but
didn’t impede his progress.
In recent years he has been involved in a rich mixture of production, writing and performance.
Before he and his wife Stephanie Pordage set up Neon in 1995 he spent an eight-year spell as a BBC
employee where he ran the radio music and entertainment shows in Scotland. A formal job in radio was
appropriate as the radio had played a major part in Noakes’ creative development from an early age.
Born in 1947 Rab Noakes enjoyed the benefits of growing up as rock’n’roll was born and of being
present as new sounds – from Little Richard to Woody Guthrie drifted across the Atlantic.
Impressed by the success of Scots Bert Jansch and The Incredible String Band he dusted down an old
guitar and began touring in Britain and Denmark with a set embracing pop, country and folk. Prior to the
release of his first album in 1970 five Noakes songs appeared on albums by Archie Fisher and Barbara
Dickson.
A relationship with Gerry Rafferty has continued since Noakes was a founder member of Stealers
Wheel. Noakes played guitar on one of Rafferty’s recent albums, Over my Head.
Lindisfarne and Rab met in the North East of England when they were each playing regularly in that part
of the world. The group demonstrated its respect for Rab by recording one of his songs on each of their
first two albums.
They also shared a producer in Bob Johnston who had introduced Bob Dylan to working in Nashville
with the Blonde on Blonde record.
Noakes himself recorded in Nashville with acclaimed producer Elliot Mazer. The resulting album Red
Pump Special remains a collectors’ item and is cited as an influence by several young upstarts.
Discussions are currently underway with Warner Brothers and a 2-on1 CD issue of Rab's two albums
for the label is under consideration.
Noakes also worked with Terry Melcher at Lennon’s Tittenhurst Park on an album for Ringo Starr’s
record label.
In the eighties Noakes teamed up with some young Glaswegian musicians including Brendan Moon,
Lorraine McIntosh and Andy Alston to form Gene Pitney’s Birthday. Into the ’nineties this grew into
The Varaflames whose members have included harmonica ace Fraser Speirs, Rod Clements of
Lindisfarne, guitar ace Jerry Donahue, Deacon Blue's Ewen Vernal and Pick Withers of Dire Straits.
Rab Noakes has also been involved with some high-profile music production activity on shows such as
John Byrne’s Your Cheatin’ Heart and Elaine C. Smith’s TV series. Neon continues to provide quality TV
and radio programmes from its base in Glasgow’s Kinning Park. The unique knowledge and abilities in
the Neon team continue to give the programmes an edge.
As we carry on into the 21 century Rab Noakes is preparing to go on the road with Fraser Speirs. They
now work together often and have developed a unique act which covers a broad range of popular styles.
st
Noakes material they play a rich mixture of Blues, Country and
Pop that reflects a lasting love of popular music as popular culture. He also plans to record and release
a number of albums and to make a few appearances with the current Varaflames line up of Jim
McDermott, David Paton, Colin Macfarlane and Fraser Speirs.
The first record on the Neon label to become available was ‘Throwing Shapes’ by The Varaflames.
That was followed up with Rab and Fraser releasing a new album, ‘lights back on’, an album sure to win
him many new admirers. The strong mix of carefully selected versions of others' songs paired with
Noakes’s own eloquent compositions have helped create one of the best albums to come out of
Scotland in years.
A limited edition release of the ‘stuffhouse ep’ has made 750 numbered copies of this future rarity
available
‘Demos and Rarities Volume One’ was released in 2002. Neon partner and Rab’s wife, Stephanie
Pordage volunteered to go through the many hours of recordings and has dug out the best and most
appropriate material.
Noakes’ own record production skills have been much in demand with albums by John Watt and
macAlias being released recently. He has also just finished a recording with a young group from
Aberdeen called Stuka.
Fraser himself also released an album recently. ‘About Time’ was recorded at Glasgow's Celtic
Connections festival in 2000 and features guest performances from many artistes, Rab included.
In 2004 Neon expanded to release Karine Polwart’s ‘faultlines’ album produced by Rab. Later in the
year Neon released two more Rab productions. The first was ‘At this Moment’ by Karen Dunbar, the
second ‘Thai Whisky Tears’ by The Cellers. More Neon releases will follow in 2005.
Rab also has a 2004 release on the River Records label comprising mostly live recordings made for
commercial radio in the early eighties.
Rab’s ‘Standing Up’ – a solo album originally issued on the Mediart label in 1994 was reissued by Neon
in 2004.
In 2007 neon issued the new Rab Noakes and The Varaflames album Unlimited Mileage.
2008 saw the first CD release of Rab’s debut album Do you see the lights? On the Neon label.
Rab Noakes is a member of the joint board of the Scottish Arts Council & Scottish Screen. He is also a
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and is elected to the Executive Committee of the Musicians’ Union.
What they say about Rab’s shows:
‘With his warmly intimate vocal style, apposite guitar picking and background knowledge it would have
been a hard heart who wasn’t drawn in’
‘His set was a roots festival in itself’
Rob Adams
‘Stunning.’
Living Tradition magazine
‘a man who knows a good sound and a good song’ fRoots magazine
‘He is turning out first-rate songs with something to say, songs with the sort of edge and musical
maturity that will win him new admirers.’
Donny O’Rourke
‘It’s the art of song presented with oodles of style, deeply satisfying and vital.’ Tony May
‘Neon records should prove to be a home of excellence.’
‘Noakes’ clean guitar and languorous vocals…’
Michael Weston King
Norman Chalmers
For more information on Rab Noakes see sections in Brian Hogg’s All that ever mattered: the history of
Scottish rock and pop (Guinness 1993) and Jim Wilkie’s Blue Suede Brogans: scenes from the secret
life of Scottish rock music. (Mainstream 1991) Rab also has a chapter in the Martin Short book- Tthe
Great Scots Musicography
You can also contact Rab by email at mail@go2neon.com
or visit the website www.rabnoakes.com
rab noakes
discography
rab noakes
2009
Do You See The Lights?
1970, The Decca Record Company Limited, 22 St Peter’s Square, London W6 9NW
SKL 5061
Rab Noakes
1972, A & M Records Ltd, 136-144 New Kings Road, London SW6 4LZ
AMLS 68119
Red Pump Special
1973, Warner Bros. Records/WEA Records, The Warner Building, 28 Kensington Church Street, London W8 4EP
K46284
Never Too Late
1975, Warner Bros. Records/WEA Records Ltd., The Warner Building, 28 Kensington Church Street, London W8 4EP
K56114
Restless
1978, Ring O’Records/Polydor, 1 Sussex Place, London W6 9XT
2339 201
Rab Noakes
1980, MCA Records, Inc., 139 Piccadilly, London W1V 0AX
MCF 3083
Under The Rain
1984, Black Crow Records/Celtic Music, 24 Mercer Row, Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 9JJ
CRO 207
Woody Lives!
with Rod Clements, Dick Gaughan, Ray Jackson, Bert Jansch, Rory McLeod
1987, Black Crow Records/Celtic Music, 24 Mercer Row, Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 9JJ
CRO 217
Standing Up
1994, Moidart Music Ltd., 73 High Street, Ardersier, IV2 7RP
MDMCD 003
The Varaflames - Throwing Shapes
2000, Neon Records, Studio One, 19 Marine Crescent, Kinning Park, Glasgow, G51 1HD
neoncd001
Rab Noakes with Fraser Speirs - lights back on
2000, Neon Records, Studio One, 19 Marine Crescent, Kinning Park, Glasgow, G51 1HD
neoncd002
People on the Highway
multi-artist tibute to Bert Jansch
2000, Market Square Music Ltd Buckingham MK18 3AF
The Varaflames - stuffhouse ep
2001, Neon Records, Studio One, 19 Marine Crescent, Kinning Park, Glasgow, G51 1HD
neoncd003
Demos & Rarities
2002, Neon Records, Studio One, 19 Marine Crescent, Kinning Park, Glasgow, G51 1HD
neoncd004
The River Sessions
radio sessions from early 1980’s. 2003 River Records Forth House Edinburgh EH1 3LE
RIVERCD003
Standing Up
2004 Reissue of 1994 album on Neon
neoncd007
Unlimited Mileage
2007 Thirty-nine years of Rab’s sonfwriting is celebrated on the release by Rab Noakes & The Varaflames
Do you see the lights?
2008 First CD releaser of Rab’s debut album from 1970.
rab noakes
quotes
rab noakes
2009
“There was the wee Cupar singer-songwriter enthusing about Beck’s ability to draw 50 years of pop history together
in one show while he himself was in the process of drawing…50 years, maybe more, of pop history together in one
show”.
Rob Adams – The Herald June 2000
“Now, collaborating with a host of musicians under the name The Varaflames, Rab could be the closest Scotland
has to musical royalty”.
Go Magazine, November 2000
“…Noakes’ clean guitar and languorous vocals…”
Norman Chalmers – Scotland on Sunday, November 2000
“Rab’s warmly intimate vocal style, apposite guitar picking and singing first rate songs with something important to
say, songs with the sort of edge and musical maturity that wins him new admirers…”, “…are sure to turn the evening
into an unmissable one”.
The Fife Herald, October 2000
“…mention Rab and words such as ‘legendary’ and ‘seminal’ seem to follow.”
Jackie Copleton, Glaswegian, November 2000
“Rab Noakes, meanwhile, looks at times as if he would rather be anywhere else than here, but this guy and his band
can play and he writes terrific songs…”
Paul Massey- The Herald, December 2000
“Faultless production and funky backing band”
Anne Marie Middleton- The Scotsman, July 2000
“The expertise of someone who’s done it all”
Living Tradition, September 2000
“A man who knows a good sound and a good song.”
fRoots, September 2000
“Stunning.”
Neil Brown- Living Tradition, January 2001
“The sheer authority of presentation.”
“Rab Noakes’ set was a roots festival in itself”
Rob Adams, The Herald 1999
"Not only do you never know what to expect from pop's history
but his own song catalogue has such reserves."
Rob Adams, The Herald 2000
“Great performance and the finesse of a great production”
Colin Harper, Mojo Magazine
“Noakes produces a fresh, vibrant & varied record which should garner him must justified praise.”
Nick Allan, Get Rhythm Magazine
rab noakes
bookings
rab noakes
2009
Rab Noakes the performer can be presented in a variety of ways.
Solo he has honed his stage-craft to perfection and really puts that extra indefinable something into a
performance that makes an audience feel they have seen and heard something extraordinary.
with Fraser Speirs on harmonica the carefully selected voicings and arrangements bring a musicality
and subtlety to the performance which makes it both a moving and exciting experience.
with The Varaflames the audience is treated to a timeless selection of material played with the
consummate skill of musicians who know their way round the intricacies of the popular song with
integrity, style and wit.
Noakes’s anecdotal style complements the songs and brings a focus to the proceedings which wears its
life-span well.
Noakes and Fraser are also adept at the art of interactive workshops covering instrumental prowess,
accompaniment, songwriting etc. Noakes experience in radio and TV production
means these events have shape and content giving them a unique balance of information and
entertainment value.