Tighten Up" by Archie Bell & the Drells was written by Archie Bell and Billy Butler after Butler demonstrated the "Tighten Up" dance to cheer up a despondent Bell. Recorded in 1967 with instrumental backing by the T.S.U. Toronadoes, the song was released on a regional Texas label before Atlantic Records picked it up for national distribution. It became a #1 hit on both the R&B and pop charts in 1968, selling over a million copies. Bell was drafted into the Army during the song's rise and first h