Archie Bell (born September 1, 1944) – Where Will You Go When The Party's Over (1976)

The superb Philly soul disco title track to Archie Bell & the Drells' fifth studio album became a Paradise Garage favorite.

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Before going solo, Archie Bell was the lead singer of Archie Bell & the Drells, who went to the top of the charts in 1968 with their all-time classic “Tighten Up.”

Born in Henderson, Texas, and raised in Houston, Bell was related to legendary Philly soul producer Thom Bell.

When he was only ten years old, Bell was already performing in Houston night clubs. He formed the Drells in 1966 with his three friends Willie Parnell, James Wise, and Billy Butler.

They signed with Houston-based Ovide Records in 1967. In August of that year, they recorded “Tighten Up,” which was conceived after Bell received his Vietnam draft notice, and Butler tried to cheer him up by demonstrating a dance he called the “Tighten Up.” Released in early 1968, it became a hit in Houston and was picked up for national distribution by Atlantic in April. It hit #1 on the R&B and Billboard Hot 100 charts that summer. and went gold.

After three albums on Atlantic released in 1968 and 1969, the group did not put out another LP until 1975, when they switched labels to Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff’s Philadelphia International Records. For their fourth studio album, Dance Your Troubles Away (1975), Huff and songwriters Gene McFadden, John Whitehead, and Victor Carstarphen co-wrote the superb dancefloor jam “Let’s Groove.” It went to #3 on disco charts and peaked at #7 R&B.

The following year in 1976, they released the album Where Will You Go When the Party's Over. The LP’s superb title track was issued as a single and became a Paradise Garage favorite. It was co-written and produced by McFadden, Whitehead, and Carstarphen, the same team responsible for “Let’s Groove,” minus Leon Huff.

#soul #funk #disco #ArchieBell