NRC: Paul Peek, The NRC Years 1958-1960

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.