The Wrens

The Wrens were a woefully under-recorded doo wop group from the Morrisania section of the Bronx led by singer Bobby Mansfield, and this disc represents their complete recorded legacy. Counting unreleased material and alternate takes, the group recorded 14 tracks for George Goldner's Rama and Gee labels between 1954 and 1956, after which the group simply evaporated. The Wrens had a somewhat harder R&B edge than many of their genre contemporaries, and why they didn't generate more success is due more to shortsighted marketing than any defect in the group's talent. Their only hit (relatively speaking), "Come Back My Love," from 1955, is here, along with quality cuts like "What Makes You Do the Things You Do," the sprightly "Betty Jean," and the delightful "I Won't Come to Your Wedding," which features an arresting sax solo from Jimmy Wright. Also here are two tracks Mansfield recorded for Gee while backed by the Supremes (no, not the Motown group), "Reckless" (which is mislisted here -- as it usually is -- as "Wreckless") and "House of Cards," neither of which was ever officially issued by the label. The Wrens remain a historical footnote whose possibilities unfortunately far exceeded their actual output, through no fault of their own. This is the disc to get, but then, it really is all there is anyway. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide