Dexter Wansel -

Dexter Wansel (born Aug. 22, 1950) is an American keyboardist, vocalist, composer, and producer from Philadelphia who cut an album with the funk-psych one-off Yellow Sunshine in 1973. As a solo artist, he released four albums on PIR between 1976 and 1979.

He was born Dexter Gilman Wansel on August 22, 1950, in Philadelphia. He got his first job at Uptown Theater, where he worked as an errand boy from age nine to thirteen. In high school, he befriended Stanley Clarke and the two played in bands together.

After his discharge from the US Army in 1970, Wansel became a sessionist at Sigma Sound Studios, where he programmed early synthesizers like the EMS VCS 3 ‘Putney’ and the ARP 2600. In 1973, he joined the funk band Yellow Sunshine and played on their singular self-titled album, released on PIR-subsidiary Gamble. The following year, he programmed the Putney synthesizer on the eponymous debut album by the soul-funk 10-piece Force of Nature.

In 1975, Wansel wrote, arranged, and produced sides for Billy Paul (“I Think I’ll Stay Home Today (Part 1)”) and MFSB (“When Your Love Is Gone”), both released on Philadelphia International Records. That same year, he played keyboards on the ATCO release Thirteen Blue Magic Lane by soulsters Blue Magic. He also co-wrote two songs for singer Carl Carlton and arranged the bulk of his third album, I Wanna Be With You, on ABC Records.

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