The impact Rab Noakes had on the lives of so many is incalculable. His longevity as a professional performing artist, from 1967 until his death in 2022, is only part of the story of this remarkable figure. During one of our last recording sessions together, in September 2022, Rab reflected that he was “no' yer average 75 year-old”. There was nothing “average” about Rab in any aspect of his life.

His childhood in Cupar, Fife, held all the hallmarks of his interests in music, style, transport and more that would flourish further, first with a move to Glasgow just in time to catch the stagecraft of Little Richard, the Everly Brothers and a rising new act called the Rolling Stones. Rab listened and looked with a depth of interest far beyond the average pop consumer.

Here, we find a direct resonance to the collection of instruments on offer here at Great Western Auctions. The reference points Rab spoke of so knowledgeably with each instrument lay in how they contributed to individual textures and blends within an overall sound. Whether they are seen as greater or lesser in terms of collectability now, every instrument Rab owned and played had a specific purpose in the way he constructed songs.

The playing style Rab developed brought a powerful presence on stage, one that could catch and hold an audience with no other support. When Rab turned professional, the competition was especially strong. Working in London in 1967 in venues like the famous Les Cousins in Soho, Rab encountered an endless stream of fellow artists in the high calibre of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, Sandy Denny and Roy Harper, to name only very few.

This gifted solo performer was also a keen collaborator and one who formed lifelong friendships. I'm thinking here of Rab's connection to John Byrne, Billy Connolly, Barbara Dickson and Gerry Rafferty, plus his interest in co-writing with artists ranging from Hilary Brooks to Pink Floyd's Richard Wright.

New talent was especially encouraged by Rab and this openness spanned the decades. There was Michael Marra crediting Rab as the person who gave him the confidence to become a live performer; Kevin MacDermott was another who got that boost from the interest of someone whom he admired immensely; and I recall being around when Rab's wife Stephy passed Rab a demo cassette from a sixteen year-old hopeful called Jill Jackson. Jill never fails to acknowledge how much of a role Rab had in her life from that point on. Indeed theirs was one of the great examples of mutual love and respect between two artists – and they sang so wonderfully together too.

For me, Rab's first impact on my consciousness dates from when I was 8 years old. My dad and I listened avidly to a Radio One show called The Sequence and heard Rab playing in session. This was one of many BBC appearances across time, including several sessions for John Peel's shows, however The Sequence was, specifically, a crucial point in my developing an interest in radio and it was at the BBC that I first met Rab, much later, when I was hoping to become involved there and he was a newly appointed Head of Department.

Now, Equity and Diversity are rightly seen as important elements in life, but Rab's own outlook was ahead of its time and very clear. I well remember how dedicated he was to more women being employed in his department and heard on air, the calling out of any racism he encountered and much more. He carried these principles through many years of work with the Musicians' Union and STUC. In respect of his work, the Scotland and Northern Ireland Office of the M.U. is now housed in The Rab Noakes Suite in Glasgow, the city Rab loved so much.

I'm proud to say that we forged a bond in radio that led to making hundreds of hours of output together and subsequently evolved to a happy switch of roles: I became the producer of a decade of Rab's recorded output, where he'd produced so many of my BBC radio shows.

In his Guardian obituary for Rab, Robin Denslow said: “he kept going at an age when many musicians might think of retiring, and his later work was as powerful and original as anything in his early career.” Indeed, when we completed his Welcome to Anniversaryville album in 2018, Rab thought it to be his best to date.

Rab continued to write extraordinary new songs and search for fresh sounds. The 12-string Gibson on offer here was purchased during lockdown and we only had a chance to use it on one session whilst capturing some of what proved to be Rab's final songs. I hope this instrument and all the others he left bring joy to their new owners, with a nod to the legacy of the great Rab Noakes.

For more information on the extensive music section coming to auction please follow the link to a related post> 

The Collection of Rab Noakes

Or You can view the sale here>

https://www.greatwesternauctions.com/auctions/

Great Western Auctions would like to extend a special thank you to John Cavanagh, broadcaster, musician and producer, for writing this summary. You can tune in to his Soundwave radio show on radio six international, syndicated widely each week and archived to Mixcloud thereafter.