Archie Bell, the Drells, and the Strange Comfort of Being Told What to Do (opens in new tab)

Most people remember Archie Bell & the Drells for one thing. A groove. A dance. A few minutes of irresistible joy from 1968. What most people do not remember is that Tighten Up begins with instructions. Actual instructions. Archie Bell introduces himself, introduces Houston, Texas, informs us that he and his friends can dance as well as they sing, and then proceeds to tell America exactly what to do. "Now tighten up on it..." And America, apparently thinking this sounded reasonable, did. The ...