The NRC Years

Paul Peek launched his solo career after spending two years in Gene Vincent's Blue Caps, and his debut single was the very first record released by the Atlanta-based NRC label. That single, "Sweet Skinny Jenny," didn't chart, but is a solid slice of rock & roll and Peek's most anthologized recording. Peek recorded a total of 12 sides for NRC, all of which are compiled on The NRC Years 1958-1960. Peek didn't establish a distinctive sound like Vincent — he experimented with different styles in his quest for a hit and, as a result, his singles are quite varied. "Olds-Mo-William" is a crazy novelty Peek sings in a voice sounding like a cross between Grandpa Jones and Elmer Fudd; "Short Shortnin'" is another novelty, seemingly inspired by the Coasters; and "Waikiki Beach" is an early example of beach music. Elsewhere, Peek tackles teen ballads and rocked-up remakes of country songs ("Walking the Floor Over You"). Most of the NRC masters were destroyed in a fire, so this anthology had to be dubbed from commercial discs. All of these recordings are also available on a bootleg CD, Rockin' Through the Teenage Years, produced by Eagle Records in Germany, but The NRC Years 1958-1960 is an official release of NRC itself.