Dexter Wansel
Philadelphia International Records synthesist and producer of R&B and jazz fusion.
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Dexter Gilman Wansel, born in Philadelphia on August 22, 1950, was an American R&B and jazz fusion singer, arranger, musician, composer, conductor, synthesist, and A&R director. He got his start as an errand boy backstage at the Uptown Theater from 1959 through 1963 for his step-uncle Georgie Woods, where he met artists who pushed him toward music.
In high school, he played in bands with his friend Stanley Clarke. After an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army in 1970, Wansel quietly joined the ranks of synthesists like Wendy Carlos and Dick Hyman, programming the EMS VCS 3 'Putney' and the ARP 2600 at Sigma Sound Studios, both credited and uncredited. He played keyboards for groups such as Instant Funk, Yellow Sunshine, and MFSB before signing with Philadelphia International Records as an in-house songwriter, producer, and arranger.
Career
After leaving the U.S. Army with an honorable discharge in 1970, Dexter Wansel quietly moved into the world of synthesizers, learning to program the EMS VCS 3 'Putney' and the ARP 2600 for sessions at Sigma Sound Studios, sometimes getting credit and sometimes not. Through the early and mid-1970s, he played keyboards for bands like Instant Funk, Yellow Sunshine, and MFSB. Once he signed with Philadelphia International Records as a songwriter, producer, and arranger, he began a regular writing partnership with lyricist Cynthia Biggs.
He also worked with Bunny Sigler, T. Life, Vinnie Barrett, and Kenneth Gamble. Wansel wrote, arranged, produced, and played keyboards and synthesizers on hits for artists on Philadelphia International and other labels. In 1977, he produced Lou Rawls' Grammy-winning album Unmistakably Lou. His 1975 track "Theme from The Planets" is known for its drum beat intro, which hip-hop artists have sampled heavily—among them The Lox, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Drake, Rick Ross, J Cole, Eric B and Rakim, Wiz Khalifa, Lil Kim, Ice-T, and Ice Cube—and it has also turned up in TV commercials and movies.
In 1979, Wansel conducted the MFSB Orchestra and served as music director for the White House event celebrating the first Black Music History Month, which had taken place in 1978. From 1978 to 1980, he was A&R Director at Philadelphia International Records, overseeing albums like MFSB's Mysteries of the World and the Stylistics' Hurry Up This Way Again. His 1979 LP Time Is Slipping Away gave him a second disco hit, "(I'll Never Forget) My Favorite Disco," co-written with Cynthia Biggs, which did well on the U.S. club scene.
In 1981, he wrote and arranged "Nights Over Egypt" for the Jones Girls. In April 2021, Wansel signed a new deal with Digital Jukebox Records. A live tribute honoring his space-funk album Life on Mars was planned for June 2026 as part of "Blacktronika: Philadelphia Now and Then," curated by King Britt.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Dexter Wansel born?
Dexter Wansel was born on 22 August 1950 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
When did Dexter Wansel die?
Dexter Wansel died on 31 May 2026.
When was Dexter Wansel active?
Dexter Wansel was active from 1963 to 2025.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Dexter Wansel (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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