Though never as successful as some of the great soul groups of the 1960s and
1970s, Archie Bell and the Drells' joyous R&B and funk tracks are revered by
collectors and experts who regard them as creators of some of the finest moments
in early black pop music. Formed by Houston schoolfriends Archie Bell, James
Wise, Billy Butler and Joe Cross in 1966, the vocal group started winning local
talent contests with a repertoire of Chicago soul anthems and landed a deal with
Texas label Ovid Records. They released single She's My Woman, She's My Girl
regionally, but Bell was soon drafte...