Archie Bell
Wikimp3 information about the music of Archie Bell. On our website we have 22 albums and 70 collections of artist Archie Bell. You can find useful information and download songs of this artist. We also know that Archie Bell represents Soul genres.
Biography
[Edit]Archie Bell & the Drells scored a left-field number one hit in 1968 with "Tighten Up," which epitomized the virtues of their music: funky, exuberant, danceable soul out for a rousing good time. Born in Henderson, TX, Bell grew up in Houston and began singing in church. In junior high, he joined a vocal group called Little Pop & the Fireballs, and formed the Drells in high school with friends James Wise, Huey "Billy" Butler, and Joe Cross (later replaced by Willie Pernell). The Drells won several local talent shows, performing a repertoire dominated by Chicago soul, and were discovered by local DJ Skipper Lee Frazier, who became their manager and producer. Bell & the Drells cut a single for Frazier's Ovid label, "She's My Woman," which became a regional hit in 1966.
Unfortunately, Bell was drafted in 1967. Before he was shipped overseas, he managed to record a few more tracks with the Drells, including the single "Dog Eat Dog." The B-side was a dance tune called "Tighten Up," the title of which came from Butler; backing the Drells was an instrumental R&B combo from Texas Southern University called the T.S.U. Toronados. Frazier was talked into playing "Tighten Up" on his radio show, and it became a smash hit in Houston, drawing the attention of Atlantic. With major-label distribution, "Tighten Up" took the country by storm in early 1968, hitting number one on both the pop and R&B charts. Bell learned of the song's success while recovering from wounds suffered in Vietnam, and with Atlantic requesting a full album, he began traveling to and from the States on leave. Meanwhile, several promoters took advantage of Bell's absence to send fake Archie Bell & the Drells lineups out on the road. The real Bell was granted leave to tour with the Drells that summer, and after a show in New Jersey, the group was approached by a fledgling Philadelphia-based songwriting/production team, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Bell & the Drells started recording heavily with the duo, a partnership that produced several more danceable R&B hits in "I Can't Stop Dancing," "Do the Choo-Choo," and "(There's Gonna Be A) Showdown" (the former two in 1968, the latter in 1969). Also in 1969, Butler left the group and was replaced by Lee Bell, Archie's brother, who became the Drells' choreographer.
In spite of the fact that Bell received his discharge from the Armed Forces and was finally free to pursue his career, "(There's Gonna Be A) Showdown" proved to be the last Top 40 pop hit he ever had. Bell & the Drells left Atlantic in 1970 and signed with the smaller Glades label, where they had a minor hit with "Dancing to Your Music." Overall, though, the Glades stint was disappointing, and in 1973 the group reunited with Gamble and Huff on their flourishing TSOP/Philadelphia International imprint. Working with producers like Bunny Sigler and McFadden & Whitehead, Bell & the Drells landed on the R&B charts with some regularity over the next few years, their still-danceable sound now a hybrid of lush Philly soul and disco. They had several substantial R&B hits from 1975-1976 with "I Could Dance All Night," "Soul City Walk," and "Let's Groove," all of which helped Dance Your Troubles Away become a Top Ten album on the R&B charts. Three follow-up albums through 1979 didn't prove quite as successful, however, and the Drells gave their last performance just before Christmas 1979. Bell subsequently cut a solo album, I Never Had It So Good, for Becket in 1981, and had a minor hit with "Anytime Is Right," but disappeared from the scene afterward. With a new set of Drells, Bell later became a staple of the East Coast's oldies-centered beach-music circuit.
Title: I Can't Stop Dancing (Mono)
Artist: Archie Bell, The Drells
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock, Pop
Title: Where Will You Go When the Party's Over
Artist: Archie Bell
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock, Disco, Pop
Title: Tighten Up / I Just Can't Stop Dancing (Original Artist Re-Recording) - Single
Artist: Archie Bell
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Dance Your Troubles Away
Artist: Archie Bell, James Wise, Lee Bell, Willie Pernell
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Disco
Title: Beach Vacation (feat. Craig Woolard and the Embers) - Single
Artist: Archie Bell
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Collections
Title: Northern Soul NRG
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: 100 Soul Hits
Genre: Rock
Title: Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Talk to Me (Music from the Motion Picture)
Genre: Theatre/Soundtrack
Title: Club Epic, Vol. 3
Genre: Dancefloor, Pop, Dance Pop
Title: Soul Jazz Blues Vol. 1
Genre: Jazz
Title: Back to the 60's, Vol. 2 (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock
Title: A Night On the Town - 18 Timeless Club Anthems
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: The Best Ever Soul Revival (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Solid Soul
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Sensational Soul
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: 101 Soul Classics (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Star-Funk, Vol. 29
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Dancefloor, Dance Pop
Title: Rock 'N' Roll Years - 1968
Title: Golden Years - 1968
Title: I Love the 60's: 1968 (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Rock
Title: Essential Radio Hits of the 60s Volume 4
Genre: Rock
Title: The Ashford & Simpson Songbook
Genre: Pop
Title: Star-Funk, Vol. 30
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Dancefloor, Dance Pop
Title: It's Soul Time!
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: 30 Soul Classics
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: 36 Soul Classics
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Only In America: Atlantic Soul Classics
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Atlantic Top 60: Sweat-Soaked Soul Classics
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock
Title: 60's Soul - Tell It Like It Is
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: 150 Rock 'N' Roll Classics (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Rock, Rock & Roll
Title: Back To The 60's Soul - Vol. 2
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Soul of the 80's
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Atlantic 60th: Rainy Day Refrain
Genre: Rock
Title: Soul Classics: Falling from a Great Height
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Nothing But Number 1's of the USA (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Rock
Title: 20th Century Rocks: 60's Soul - Tell It Like It Is
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Atlantic 60: Instrumental Jams
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Jazz, Rock
Title: Atlantic 60th: Soul, Sweat and Strut
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: I Just Can't Stop Dancing (Re-Recorded Version)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Top One USA CD 9 1968
Genre: Pop Rock
Title: Hed Kandi - Back To Love, Vol. 2
Genre: Ambient, Electronica, House, Trance, Hip Hop/R&B, Acid Jazz, Disco, Dance Pop, Funk
Title: Back To Mine: MJ Cole
Genre: Ambient, Downtempo, Trip Hop, Electronica, House
Title: Dance Classics, Volume 1
Title: Los 100 Mayores Exitos De La Musica Disco CD 1
Genre: Pop
Title: Return To Soul City (CD1)
Genre: Pop Rock
Featuring albums
Title: Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia
Artist: Various
Genre: Electronica, Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Dancefloor, Disco, Pop
Title: The Roots of Philadelphia Funk & Soul: 17 Classics
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Frat Party - Soul Music Edition (Rerecorded Version)
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Karaoke - Singing to the Hits: Soul Style (Rerecorded Version)
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: