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Archie Bell & The Drells - Tightening It Up (The Best Of) (1994)

Track listing:
  1. Tighten Up 2:40
  2. I Can't Stop Dancing 2:22
  3. Do The Choo Choo 2:40
  4. Love Will Rain On You 3:06
  5. (There's Gonna Be A) Showdown 2:37
  6. I Love My Baby 2:41
  7. Girl You're Too Young 2:24
  8. My Balloon's Going Up 2:28
  9. A World Without Music 2:18
  10. Don't Let The Music Slip Away 2:16
  11. Wrap It Up 2:50
  12. Dancing To Your Music 2:57
  13. Ain't Nothing For A Man In Love 3:42
  14. I Could Dance All Night 2:42
  15. The Soul City Walk 4:20
  16. Let's Groove 6:02
  17. Everybody Have A Good Time 6:18
  18. Glad You Could Make It 3:42
  19. I've Been Missing You 3:58
  20. Strategy 6:56

Notes

www.musiczon.co.cc

It could be assumed that Archie Bell & the Drells essentially did the same thing over and over again, since "Tighten Up" almost consigns them to the level of one-hit wonders, but that's not an accurate assessment of their gifts. True, they often followed the same stylish, sunny, utterly infectious sound, but there was a lot more depth and variety there, as Rhino's terrific 20-track collection Tightening It Up: The Best of Archie Bell & the Drells illustrates. What it reveals to those that weren't playing close attention is that the group was one of the first great Philly soul outfits, recording a number of Gamble & Huff's early songs and providing a training ground for the seminal duo. Though the hits didn't come fast and furious, like they would later, they, Bell & the Drells, created some wonderful singles, highlighted by "(There's Gonna Be A) Showdown" and "A World Without Music." There's plenty of other terrific moments throughout this collection, which proves that Bell & the Drells were far more than a one-hit wonder -- they were one of the great under appreciated soul outfits of their time.