Archie Bell & the Drells

Once Americans got wind of the joyful guitar and bass licks and infectious drum breaks on "Tighten Up," they were goners, and Archie Bell & the Drells wrote their way into the soul music history books (and the story of how the song became a #1 hit is the stuff of legend). Though Bell and his bandmates were originally from Houston, they caught the ear of Philadelphia International's Gamble and Huff, who helped turn them into mainstays of the Philly Soul scene. After Bell returned from Vietnam in 1969, the group were able to tour and record several more albums over the course of...