Both sides of all six of the singles the Teen Queens did for RPM are contained on this retrospective of material that they cut for Modern between 1955 and 1957, along with five LP-only tracks, a few outtakes, and a brief radio commercial. The Teen Queens are more notable than the usual one-hit wonders: They were among the very few female doo wop groups to make an impact; as such, they could be considered distant forerunners of the girl group sound. This compilation is more interesting than those of many other one-hit wonders from the '50s. There are a few too many "Eddie My Love" soundalikes and a blatant adaptation of "Since I Met You Baby" ("My Heart's Desire"); yet there are also some surprisingly good, uptempo R&B numbers, particularly "Red Top," a cover of the 1953 single by King Pleasure and Betty Carter (which in turn had been based on a Gene Ammons instrumental). The sister harmonies of Betty Collins and Rosie Collins are spirited, and the backup is the accomplished R&B-turning-into-rock that was typical of the Modern label in the mid-1950s. Collectors might also want to hear their final single, the little-known Leiber-Stoller production "Two Loves and Two Lives"/"I Miss You," although Leiber and Stoller didn't write them, and the songs are nothing special.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo