Keyboardist Dexter Wansel was responsible for some the best-known hits from Philadelphia International Records' heyday back in the 7o's, a label known for funky, yet lushly produced soul standards such as Back Stabbers, For The Love of Money, Bad Luck, The Love I Lost, I'll Always Love My Mama, Love Train, Me & Mrs. Jones, Love Is The Message, If Only You Knew, You Gonna Make Love Somebody Else, Wake Up Everybody, I Love Music, When Will I See You Again, Used To Be My Girl, You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine, Don't Leave Me This Way and Ain't No Stopping Us Now, among many others. The label, created by principal songwriter/producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff and distributed by CBS Records, was dedicated to bringing what was known as The Sound of Philadelphia to the bedrooms and dancefloors of the masses. Backed by the house band MFSB, it also left an indelible mark on the pop and R&B charts along with Philly soundmates Thom Bell & Linda Creed, and most notably, Vince Montana Jr., a member of MFSB and the founder of The Salsoul Orchestra.Dexter and main songwriting partner Cynthia Biggs, along with Kenny Gamble, made his mark on the label's signature sound with his distinctively complex orchestral arrangements, which varied from the high drama of Jean Carn's I'm In Love Once Again, to the classical leanings of MFSB's Mysteries of the World, to the crisp funk of The Jacksons' Jump For Joy, to the plaintive, soulful cry of Patti Labelle's If Only You Knew, to the Jones Girls' eerily beautiful classic, Nights Over Egypt, and The Stylistics' 1980 comeback, Hurry Up This Way Again. Mr. Wansel's solo albums are also well-regarded by turntablists and jazz purists alike, and are must-haves for those who are serious collectors of soul, disco and jazz, and include the classics, Life On Mars and What The World Is Coming To.
So here's a shout to an artist that exemplifies the term, "they don't make 'em like they used to", and whose songs still continue to haunt my dreams.
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