DEXTER WANSEL: 'No problem, you can sleep on my sofa!'
In Remembrance Of A Solid Soul Man And A Friend
PRELUDE…
I first met Dexter Wansel in the spring of 1977 during my tenure as the US correspondent for Blues & Soul magazine, based at the time in New York.
I recall that it was in many ways ‘par for the course’ for me to conduct interviews with artists on Philadelphia International Records, given the label’s significance in the world of R&B/soul music.
A few years earlier, when founders Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff launched the imprint in the UK, I was thrilled to speak with them in London for an extensive conversation about their history as musical partners and how PIR was started.
Significantly for me, the key feature in Blues & Soul was one of my first ‘major’ assignments in London, a year or so before I found myself in New York in October 1974 for what would be a life-changing holiday that also included a whirlwind trip to Philly and the Broad Street offices of the label.
Fast forward to February 1975 and the start of what would ultimately be 34 years of an American odyssey that, in the world of ‘you couldn’t make it up,’ ended in…Philadelphia in March 2009. Wow!
Specifically in1977, two artists signed to Philly International were the subject of in person interviews for their label debut albums, released in late ‘76. the multi-talented Jean Carn and Dexter, whose “Life On Mars” album hit the streets a few months earlier.
I don’t remember the circumstances that led me to meeting Dexter in Philly for our first interview: what do I vividly recall is that we hit it off as people. I loved the “Life On Mars” album and in particular, “Together Once Again,” a gorgeous track featuring the afore-mentioned Ms. Carn, with whom Dexter had worked on her PIR album.
For whatever reason, my day in Philly in the spring of ‘77 was much longer than expected: if memory serves me well, I spent quite some time at the PIR offices and Sigma Sound Studios.
My conversation with Dexter went on for hours and after having a meal, we chatted about life (on earth, not Mars!), music and all manner of stuff till the late evening turned to night.
Likely it got so late that getting back to NYC was rapidly fading and the wonderous Mr. Wansel offered me the sofa at his apartment round the corner from the PIR offices since he and his ‘partner-in-crime’ and running buddy Eric were heading out for a ‘night on the town’!
Sometime in the early dawn of the next morning, Dexter and Eric returned and I awoke from my slumber and with gratitude, I left for the train back to Manhattan, aware that beyond a great conversation and an interview about his work (reprinted here), I had made a real life friend….
Wansel’s Dexterity!
May 1977, In person interview with Dexter Wansel in Philadelphia
Over a relatively short period of time — “a year”, the gentleman actually suggests, Mr. Dexter Wansel’s name has appeared on the credits of several albums by MFSB, Jean Carn, The Jacksons, Billy Paul, Carl Carlton, Archie Bell & The Drells, Dee Dee Sharp Gamble, People’s Choice and The O’Jays.
In each case, it’s been in a different capacity. As either a musician, an arranger, a producer-writer-arranger — each talent indicating that Mr. Wansel’s abilities lie in many musical areas.
We’ve purposely omitted the one category that’s taking up a little more of his time than ever before: that of artist and performer. Dexter’s initial album, “Life On Mars” turned a lot of heads around when it was released and has netted Dexter a firm following. As a debut set, it was extremely well received and had immediate impact.
But although Mr. Wansel has been kept more than a little busy at Philly International in his many capacities, he is by no means a newcomer to music! Thinking about it, anyone with the expertise and knowledge which he so obviously has, could hardly be!
A native of Philadelphia, Dexter’s initial introduction to music came when he mastered the flute and cello at high school. But it wasn’t until a few years later that Dexter’s true musical talents began to emerge to any serious degree.
“I was in the armed forces in Taiwan for about two years,” he recalls. Access to a piano led to an immediate interest and before long, Dexter was working with — if he’ll pardon the pun — great dexterity at polishing off his own keyboard style.
“I planned to stay in China — but it didn’t work out like that and I came back home in 1972.”
To “keep everything together”, Dexter began playing in clubs in and around Philly and was soon spotted by Karl and Roland Chambers, two gentlemen whose names have cropped up frequently on many of the City of Brotherly Love’s creations.
“They asked me to join them in their band, Yellow Sunshine, and I did, as featured keyboard player. It was through them that I first met Kenny and Leon (Gamble & Huff).”
Yellow Sunshine, without actually breaking the doors down, enjoyed mild success with their one and only album for the Gamble label.
It did open further horizons for Dexter and he found himself becoming increasingly involved in writing music himself and one of his songs, “Billy’s Back Home” found its way to Billy Paul and as Dexter recalls, “I was in the office to collect a cheque for royalties against the song and ran into Kenny. I was just playing a few things on tape — some of my songs — and Kenny heard them and liked them. He asked me to write a couple of things for MFSB so I asked if I could produce them!
“I pointed out to him that all he had to lose was a couple of thousand dollars if I really messed up! So he asked me if I thought I could hack it.”
Dexter’s answer was very much in the affirmative. Result: “When Your Love Is Gone” and “Morning Tears” and the beginning of a strong career as a producer, writer and arranger.
“I guess Kenny just dug my sincerity in asking if I could work with the guys so he decided to give me a shot!”
Bunny Sigler further endorsed Gamble & Huff’s faith in Dexter’s skill by having him arrange strings and horns for an album he produced on Carl Carlton (”I Want To Be With You”) and then took Dexter on the road to promote his own album at the time, “Keep Smilin’”.
“It was whilst we were out there that I really wrote a lot of songs,” Dexter comments, “I guess because being on the road that time was tough.”
After initial success that Dexter enjoyed with various assorted projects — playing, arranging writing — it soon became time for the gentleman to turn his attention to his own career as an artist. Result: “Life On Mars”, a combination of funk-jazz, r&b, pop, which features Mr. Wansel on keyboards of varying description, including synthesizers, moogs etc.
There’s no real description for what Dexter does: it’s just his own music. Some critics have described it as spacey, jazzy — any number of things. The unanimous opinion is that it’s good.
“I guess my whole philosophy on life is simply that you are what you think. In other words, we can all achieve whatever we want as long as we focus in on it and deal with it mentally first. In other words, it’s just like seeing where you’re going, planning your course in your head.
“Obviously, you’re subjected to the world around you, but to get what you want in a positive sense, you must first come to terms with it. It’s no good just saying ‘I want to be successful.’ I spent a long time dabbling in music until I discovered a solid goal for myself and I’ve been working at that.
“I want to continually please and give enjoyment to the people around me — that’s what I’m here for. To spread that happiness to people through my music. And naturally, being attracted to what I can only call the ‘right’ conditions obviously matters a great deal.”
Those ‘right’ conditions are being with Philly International and through them, C.B.S. because Dexter recognises that he’s now able to reach an ever-growing number of people.
“My main aim is to become a very positive force within the music business for as many years as it’s possible. Right now, I’m just becoming aware of a lot of things. Like the new album has some cuts on it that are suitable as singles because I recognise that with a hit single, the possibilities of me establishing on a wide scale are that much higher and I can do it much quicker.”
Meanwhile, he’s busy touring on the road with Billy Paul and Jean Carn. He handled sessions for the lady’s debut album and will begin working on some new material with her shortly. Additionally, Dexter also worked on Teddy Pendergrass’s first solo album.
Audiences everywhere are turning on to the gentleman and his talents, and that bodes well for the future.
© 1977, 2026, David Nathan
POSTSCRIPT…
Over the years that followed since that first conversation in 1977, I saw Dexter several times, not so much in the context of doing an ‘official’ interview, more in terms of seeing him at different shows and events.
I have a memory of speaking with him very specifically for the release of a 1991 album, “Universe Featuring Dexter Wansel” released through PIR’s brief association with Zoo Records which appears to have been his last ‘official’ recording with Philly International but the details of it are somewhat hazy.
What became very apparent - in particular since I returned to live in London in 2009 - is that Dexter had become a true soul music hero in the UK since that first feature in Blues & Soul. Thanks in particular to Ralph Tee (of Expansion Records) and Richard Searling, a 1982 London concert featuring Dexter, Jean Carne, Bunny Sigler and Billy Paul was issued in 2005 on DVD; and with frequent appearances in Britain through the decades, “Captured,” Dexter’s lone album for 10 Records was reissued through Paul Robinson’s Robinsongs as an expanded edition in 2012.
APPRECIATION & RESPECT…
Like quite a few other multi-talented artists in the world of Black music, Dexter’s impact resonated much more in the UK, Europe and Japan than in the US. My awareness of how much Dexter and his music was deeply appreciated was in evidence when I saw him perform at the famous Ronnie Scott’s jazz club in October 2024.
For two nights, Dexter and a UK band of top musicians and singers thrilled the packed club to hear tracks from his own recordings such as ‘Mysteries of the World,’ ‘Theme From The Planets,’ ‘Life On Mars,’ the classic ‘The Sweetest Pain’ along with compositions and productions that Dexter was so much as part of by others - ‘Love TKO,’ ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’ and my ever-and-always favourite of all time, ‘Nights Over Egypt,’ one of several hits Dexter wrote with Cynthia Biggs, initially for The Jones Girls.
After the show, I went back to chat with Dexter and his wife, Judith. I told him how truly amazed I was at number of influential recordings he had been involved with over the years that he had performed that night - and knowing that was just a small portion of just how much he had contributed through work with Phyllis Hyman, Lou Rawls, The Stylistics, Teddy Pendergrass, Dee Dee Sharp Gamble, The Jacksons and so many others.
Of course, I couldn’t resist reminding him with a big grin of the time he let me sleep on his sofa in 1977!
A week later, on October 19th, a 'Sound Of Philadelphia’ concert at The Royal Albert Hall with a full orchestra and an array of UK vocalists paid tribute to so many of the classic recordings that have become bedrocks in pop, soul and R&B.
Dexter and Judith attended the show and we sat in a VIP box with Ralph Tee and others; sadly, the organizers of the concert recognized only the presence of Sheila Ferguson (from The Three Degrees) in the house, perhaps unaware that Dexter, one of the mainstays of the Philly Sound was also there.
That ‘oversight’ ultimately led to “A Celebration Of Dexter Wansel & MFSB’ with a 33-piece orchestra and guests including Jean Carne, Shirley Jones and Terri Wells (the vocalist on Dexter’s original recording, “The Sweetest Pain”) making her ‘live’ debut in the UK.
The original intention was for Dexter to conduct the orchestra. Word came that his health would not allow for his presence in London for the sold-out show on April 12th, 2026 although he was made aware of just how much the concert had indeed been a wonderful expression of the love that UK audiences felt for Dexter and his lasting legacy.
On May 31st, 2026, Dexter made his transition: I’d like to think that he left with the awareness of how much he was revered, in particular among the loyal and steadfast UK soul music community; and for me, personally, a kind spirit and friend I will always remember, a true fellow voyager, resting before the next ‘adventure’…
Check out Dexter’s albums here
© 2026, David Nathan, All Rights Reserved.