Archie Bell & The Drells, Strategy | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

On the 12^th edition of Throwback Vibez, we explore recollect and reflect on “Strategy” by soul collective Archie Bell & The Drells. 

T

he vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome – we don’t discriminate ‘round here! On the 12^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶, we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Strategy”, performed by 🎙 Archie Bell & The Drells.

---

Theme & Lyrics ✍ 

“Said it’s up to me / To come up with a strategy / To make you mine / To make you mine.” Woo! When R&B collective 🎙 Archie Bell & The Drells is mentioned, the first song that comes to mind is the no. 1 Hot 100 gem, 🎵 “Tighten Up”.  It’s a terrific 1960s soul classic.  That said, 🎙 Archie Bell and company have another gem in 1979, seven-minute-long funk joint, 🎵 “Strategy,” which appears on the 1979 album of the same name.  It’s not every day that the word strategy is used within a song title, but it works out perfectly for Bell and company.

So, what is the strategy for the Texas collective exactly? Well, as the chorus states, Archie is trying to come up with a strategy to earn this girl’s love.  He goes on to sing, “Girl why you wanna make me sweat / Standing there playing hard to get / All the time / All the time.”  Man, oh man does Archie Bell & The Drells have the hots for their respective women.  Interestingly, over this exquisite, lush, groovy production on this 🎼✍ Gene McFadden / 🎼✍ Jerry Cohen / 🎼✍ John Whitehead-penned joint, Archie states that the ball is in her court.  Does he guilt trip her? Of course, he does, particularly moments like, “There’s no need in teasin’, well / When I know what I need / Girl I need you, I need you / And woman, woman, woman you need, you need me, Hey!” Also, he’s incredibly horny, even if that’s not the appropriate way to put it in 1979!

“Girl, my body’s achin’, well
Just to feel the pleasures that you hide, that you hid
And girl, my body’s waitin’, waitin’
Waitin’, waitin’, waitin’ to get inside-side-side.”

---

Final Thoughts 💭

If you’ve never heard the soul bop that is “Strategy,” you are missing out.  It’s underrated compared to other songs, even within the Archie Bell & The Drells catalog.  Regardless, listen to this infectious 1979 classic once and you’ll be on board.  Awesome vocals, killer production, and entertaining songwriting.  A gem, a gem, a gem!

---

🎙 Archie Bell & The Drells • 💿 Strategy • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment • 🗓 1979
Archie Bell & The Drells, “Strategy”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 12 [📷: Brent Faulkner, cotton bro,  The Musical Hype, Sony Music Entertainment]

---