Archie Bell and The Drells
Archie Bell (born in Henderson, Texas on September 1, 1944) & the Drells were a Houston soul vocal group, one of the main acts on Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records. The band's hits include "Tighten Up" and "I Can't Stop Dancing" (both 1968), "The Soul City Walk" (1976), and "Everybody Have A Good Time" (1977).
Bell, the brother of American footballer Ricky Bell (1955-1984), moved to Houston as a young boy and formed the group in 1966 with his friends James Wise, Willie Parnell and Billy Butler. Read Full BioArchie Bell (born in Henderson, Texas on September 1, 1944) & the Drells were a Houston soul vocal group, one of the main acts on Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records. The band's hits include "Tighten Up" and "I Can't Stop Dancing" (both 1968), "The Soul City Walk" (1976), and "Everybody Have A Good Time" (1977).
Bell, the brother of American footballer Ricky Bell (1955-1984), moved to Houston as a young boy and formed the group in 1966 with his friends James Wise, Willie Parnell and Billy Butler. They signed with local label Ovid.
After a spell in Vietnam for Archie, the group released Tighten Up, which was picked up by Atlantic for distribution and toppped both the R&B and pop charts. The song's line "we dance just as good as we walk" was a little ironic given that Archie had been shot in the leg and was consigned to a military hospital bed at the time.
The phenomenal success of the single prompted the band to rush out an album, despite their incapacitated leader.
In 1969, after Bell had left the army, the group recorded their first full album with Gamble and Huff, I Can't Stop Dancing, which reached number 28 on the R&B chart.
After mediocre chart showings in the late '70s, the group split in 1980. Archie Bell later released one solo album on Beckett Records.
Bell, the brother of American footballer Ricky Bell (1955-1984), moved to Houston as a young boy and formed the group in 1966 with his friends James Wise, Willie Parnell and Billy Butler. Read Full BioArchie Bell (born in Henderson, Texas on September 1, 1944) & the Drells were a Houston soul vocal group, one of the main acts on Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records. The band's hits include "Tighten Up" and "I Can't Stop Dancing" (both 1968), "The Soul City Walk" (1976), and "Everybody Have A Good Time" (1977).
Bell, the brother of American footballer Ricky Bell (1955-1984), moved to Houston as a young boy and formed the group in 1966 with his friends James Wise, Willie Parnell and Billy Butler. They signed with local label Ovid.
After a spell in Vietnam for Archie, the group released Tighten Up, which was picked up by Atlantic for distribution and toppped both the R&B and pop charts. The song's line "we dance just as good as we walk" was a little ironic given that Archie had been shot in the leg and was consigned to a military hospital bed at the time.
The phenomenal success of the single prompted the band to rush out an album, despite their incapacitated leader.
In 1969, after Bell had left the army, the group recorded their first full album with Gamble and Huff, I Can't Stop Dancing, which reached number 28 on the R&B chart.
After mediocre chart showings in the late '70s, the group split in 1980. Archie Bell later released one solo album on Beckett Records.
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Tighten Up
Archie Bell and The Drells Lyrics
Hi everybody, I'm Archie Bell of the Drells of Houston, Texas
We don't only sing but we dance just as good as we walk
In Houston we just started a new dance called the Tighten up
This is the music we tighten up with
First tighten up on the drums
Come on now drummer
I want you to tighten it up for me now, oh yeah
Tighten up on that bass now
Tighten it up, ha ha, yeah
Now let that guitar fall in, oh yeah
Tighten up on that organ now
Yeah, you do the tighten up, yeah now
I said if you can do it now,
It sure would be tough
Now look here
Come on now
Now make it mellow
Let's tighten up now
Do the tighten up
Everybody can do it now
So get to it
We're gonna tighten up
Let's do the tighten up
You can do it now
So baby get to it
Look to your left now
Look to your right
Everybody can do it
But don't you get too uptight
Come on and tighten up
Tighten it up now
Tighten it up now
Tighten it up
Do the the tighten up
C'mon and tighten it up
Tighten it up now
C'mon now Billie
Tighten it up, woo
Oh yeah
Sock it to 'em, sock it to 'em
Tighten it up
C'mon tighten up that bass, oh yeah
Now look here I want that guitar to fall in on that
Tighten it up now, oh yeah
Now tighten it up organ
Yeah now everybody, tighten it up
Now look here
We gonna make it mellow for ya now
We gonna make it mellow now
Tighten it up
If you can get it
Move to your left
Move to your right
Tighten it up now
Everything will be outta sight
C'mon and tighten it up
Tighten it up now
You can do it
So baby get to it
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARCHIE BELL, BILLY BUTTIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
Cassandra Jackson
My brother in law rest his soul was the bass player on this song
Colin Music
Well that man could really down. Tightenin’ Up in heaven right now R.I.P.
Vickie Perez
Your brother in law was a excellent musician! May he Rest In Peace
Sandy Sizemore
@Devin 1980 Dawson you are awesome! Standing ovation from me to you!
Devin 1980 Dawson
I played the drums on this song
Lightening
Amen bro. This song is the shuzznit. Im 56. Amen
Steve Cabral
After Archie Bell got his draft notice, he wanted to record with his group, the Drells, one more time before he got shipped off to Vietnam. He pulled out one of the group's old demos and remade it as a strutting funk vamp. Bell got shot in Vietnam, the song went to #1 while he was in the military hospital trying to convince people the song on the radio was his.
Cathy Berry
Had no idea?? Thanks for sharing! 🎵☮🥺
Gary Jackson
@Randall Underwood Thank you for your service.
John-Rodger N/A
Thanks for sharing that! I am a Woodstock survivor and would love ❤️ to hear any more stories anyone has 😎🐉🔥