The Teen Queens

"Eddie My Love," the Teen Queens' tender ballad, climbed to number 14 on the pop charts by March 31, 1956. Pop versions from the Chordettes and the Fontaine Sisters appeared the same year, each also landing inside the Top 20. Sisters Betty and Rosie Collins made up the Teen Queens; their brother Aaron Collins performed with both the Cadets and the Jacks. In 1955 the Jacks recorded their own rendition of the Feathers' "Why Don't You Write Me," while the Cadets handled the Jayhawks' "Stranded in the Jungle," prompting speculation that the Teen Queens' cover difficulties amounted to reciprocal treatment. Songwriting attribution went to Aaron Collins, arranger Maxwell Davis, and Sam Ling, the latter a stand-in for the Bihari Brothers who owned Modern, RPM, and Flair Records. The composers nevertheless profited from the additional airplay, which generated BMI performance royalties, and from mechanical income produced by the competing releases.

RPM followed the success with "Baby Mine," which failed to match its chart impact. Subsequent singles "Billy Boy," "Red Top," "Rock Everybody," and "I Miss You" likewise stalled. In 1958 the duo departed RPM for a one-off arrangement with RCA Records that yielded the unsuccessful "Dear Tommy." A subsequent deal with Antler Records produced two more sides: the answer record "There Is Nothing on Your Mind," responding to "There's Something on Your Mind," and "I Heard Violins," whose commercial failure ended their recording activity. The Teen Queens disbanded in 1961 and never returned to the studio.