I saw (again on the TV news) that well respected Scottish musician and song-writer Rab Noakes has died. Sadly he never achieved much commercial success for himself. His musical talent deserved much more.

I had heard of him as a musician but wasn’t aware of his wider appreciation in the music world outside Scotland till Lindisfarne covered his song Turn a Deaf Ear on their first album Nicely Out of Tune.

This is a version by Rab himself but for some reason this video repeats part of the song once it has finished.

Rab Noakes: Turn a Deaf Ear

Lindsifarne adapted the lyric to mention Rab himself.

Lindisfarne: Turn a Deaf Ear

Barbara Dickson also made a recording of Turn a Deaf Ear.

Early on Noakes had collaborated with Gerry Rafferty and indeed was a fellow member of Stealers Wheel in its earliest days. After Rafferty’s death Rab wrote this song for him.

Rab Noakes: No More Time

A great cover by Rab Noakes and Emma Pollock of Rafferty’s song Get it Right Next Time can be found here.

Robert (Rab) Noakes: 13/5/1947 – 11/11/2022. So it goes.