"Life On Mars/What The World Is Coming To/Voyager/Time Is Slipping Away" by DEXTER WANSEL – Albums from August 1976, May 1977, March 1978 and October 1979 on Philadelphia International Records with guests Bobby Malach, Al Harrison, Grover Washington, Jr., Idris Muhammad, Vocalists The Jones Girls, Jean Carn, Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson, Evette Benton, Terry Welles and the bands INSTANT FUNK and MFSB on Horns and Strings (March 2023 UK BGO Records (Beat Goes On Records) Compilation – 4LPs onto 2CDs – Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"…Dreams Of Tomorrow…"

 

Philly-born Jazz-Funk multi-instrumentalist DEXTER WANSEL worked as the all-purpose Studio wizard for Gamble and Huff at the Philadelphia International label throughout the Seventies before launching his own much-revered Solo career – a very big deal among Jazz Funk enthusiasts of that golden decade.

 

Wansel stormed the Soul-Funk/Jazz-Fusion marketplace with "Life On Mars" in August 1976 and "What The World Is Coming To" in May 1977 – then "Voyager" and "Time Is Slipping Away" in March 1978 and October 1979. All four on these were on the much-loved Philadelphia International Records label, but only one of ever secured a British release on vinyl - "Voyager". When I worked the counters at Reckless Records in both Islington and Soho's Berwick Street in the 90s and 00’s – these LPs were regular £30 sellers back when £15 was considered a lot.

 

Fans of Wansel who wanted to own the albums on digital will undoubtedly have been here before when Westside of the UK reissued these as '2LPs on 1CD' couplings in 1999 and Edsel again in 2005. But they have been deleted years and in themselves, pricey to track down.

 

This time around in 2023 (10 March to be exact), England's BGO Records (Beat Goes On Records) has clumped all four together into one 2CD card-slipcase remastered bundle for the first time with remastered audio, new liner notes and their usual brand of classy presentation. And man what a joyous and gorgeous sounding racket this reissue compilation makes. Throw in singers like The Jones Girls, Terri Welles and Jean Carr with Saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr., drummed Idris Muhammad with the MFSB and INSTANT FUNK Horns and Strings as your backing crew - and we are in Philly Heaven never mind a mood. Here are the Martian details...

 

UK released 10 March 2023 - "Life On Mars/What The World Is Coming To/Voyager/Time Is Slipping Away" by DEXTER WANSEL on BGO Records (Beat Goes On Records) BGOCD1490 (Barcode 5017261214904) is a Compilation that offers Four Albums Remastered onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:

 

CD1 (77:47 minutes):

1. A Prophet Named K.G. [Side 1]

2. Life On Mars

3. Together Once Again

4. Stargazer

5. One Million Miles From The Ground [Side 2]

6. You Can Be What You Wanna Be

7. Theme From The Planets

8. Rings Of Saturn

Tracks 1 to 8 are the debut album "Life On Mars" - released August 1976 in the USA on Philadelphia International PZ 34079 (no UK release). Produced by DEXTER WANSEL – the backing band included INSTANT FUNK, Bobby Malach and Al Harrison on Horns with Terry Welles on Leads Vocals and Barbara Ingram, Evette Benton and Carla Benson on Backing Vocals.

 

9. First Light of The Morning [Side 1]

10. Dance With Me Tonight

11. Holdin' On

12. Ode Infinitum

13. Disco Lights [Side 2]

14. What The World Is Coming To

15. Going Back To Kingston Town

16. Dreams Of Tomorrow

17. Prelude No. 1

Tracks 9 to 17 are his second studio album "What The World Is Coming To" – released May 1977 in the USA on Philadelphia International Records PZ 34487 (no UK issue). Produced by DEXTER WANSEL – band featured DW on Keyboards, Percussion and Lead Vocals, Steve Gold on Keyboards, Herb Smith and Dennis Harris on Guitars, Bobby Malach on Saxophone and Al Harrison on Trumpet and Flugelhorn, Derrick Graves on Bass, Billy Johnson on Drums. Jean Carn does Backing Vocals on Tracks 11 and 15. Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson and Evette Benton do Backing Vocals on Track 10. Idris Muhammad play Drums on Track 14.

 

CD2 (75:50 minutes):

1. All Night Long [Side 1]

2. Solutions

3. Voyager

4. I Just Want To Love You [Side 2]

5. Time Is The Teacher

6. Latin Love (Let Me Known)

7. I'm In Love

Tracks 1 to 7 are his 3rd album "Voyager" - released March 1978 in the USA on Philadelphia International JZ 34985 and June 1978 in the UK on Philadelphia International S PIR 8276. Produced by DEXTER WANSEL except Track 6 by DERRECK GRAVES.

Band included: Dexter Wansel on Keyboards, Guitar, Drums and Percussion, Steve Gold on Keyboards, Cynthia Biggs on Piano, Herb Smith on Rhythm Guitar, George Howard on Saxophone, Butch Harper on Trumpet and Flugelhorn, Derrick Graves on Bass and Billy Johnson on Drums with Strings and Horns by Don Renaldo. Backing Vocals by Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson and Evette Benton on Tracks 1, 6 and 7.

 

8. I'll Never Forget (My Favorite Disco) [Side 1]

9. The Sweetest Pain

10. Funk Attack

11. Time Is Slipping Away

12. It's Been Cool [Side 2]

13. Let Me Rock You

14. New Beginning

15. One For The Road

Tracks 8 to 15 are his 4th album "Time Is Slipping Away" - released October 1979 in the USA on Philadelphia International JZ 36024 (no UK release). Produced by DEXTER WANSEL. Band included Dexter Wansel on Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Percussion and Drums with Mark Rubin and Herb Smith on Guitars, Bobby Malach and Willie Williams on Saxophones, Jimmy Williams and Steve Green on Bass, Miguel Fuentes on Percussion, Jim Gallagher on Vibraslap and Quinton Joseph and Pete Rudd on Drums. The Jones Girls Lead Vocals on Tracks 8 and 13, Backing Vocals on Tracks 9 and 12, Terri Wells sings Lead Vocals on Tracks 9 and 14. Backing Vocalists include Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson, Carolyn Holloway, Evette Benton, Lorna Wansel, Shirley Collins and more.

 

The outer card slipcase lends these BGO compilations a classy look and longtime writer and contributor to Mojo, Record Collector and BGO reissues CHARLES WARING gives a full overview in the 24-page booklet (features all artwork and original musician credits). The rear of the jewel case and card wrap state 'digitally remastered from original master tapes' but doesn't advise when or by who. They sound amazing but as it's licensed from Sony/BMG - I'm pretty sure these are the Philly Remasters and not new variants. Whatever way you look at it, the audio here is fabulous - full and muscular and not too rammed for the sake of it. To the chunes...

 

CD1 offers us the mighty "Life On Mars" first. The album opens on the famous wavering synth funk of "A Prophet Named K.G." – then the strings kick in and about two minutes into it's four BOBBY MALACH hits us with His Saxophone playing ably abetted by AL HARRISON on Trumpet. The swirling magic continues with the title track "Life On Mars" where Philly band INSTANT FUNK soon turn the proceedings into the nastiest groove cleverly made more accessible by the trio of ladies singing along to the Funk – BARBARA INGRAM, CARLA BENSON and EVETTE BENTON. "Together Once Again" is almost Jon Anderson of Yes in its fusion beginning - but soon settles into love song territory as TERRY WELLES takes lead vocals – a very pretty number indeed. Arranged by Jack Faith "Stargazer" is a breakneck-speed instrumental that perfectly mixes his Funk with those Philly Strings.

 

Side 2 opens with one of my faves - the ballad 'n' strings floater "One Million Miles From The Ground" where Dexter fronts the Lead Vocals (again subtle doubled-vocals from the ladies). I've always thought it a gorgeous tune – a Philly nugget hidden on an album too many people don't know about. They issued it Stateside as a 45 on Philadelphia International ZS8-3606 with "Stargazer" on the flipside but it didn't break the Top 40. One of the albums Big Funk cornerstones is "You Can Be What You Wanna Be" which again features INSTANT FUNK as the backing band. Even sweeter for me is superlative instrumental "Theme From The Planets" – a fabulous piece of slick and smooth Funk that never overdoes it as the synths soar and the Saxophone blows cool and sexy (gorgeous remastered Audio too). It ends on "Rings Of Saturn" – another Fusion instrumental that even has 'Blade Runner' vibes in the Sax soloing.

 

The second album "What The World Is Coming To" opens with a fantastic 6:05 minute instrumental called "First Light Of The Morning" where sessionman Bobby Malach plays a blinder on Tenor Saxophone – the tune itself all slappy bass. That dancing Jazz-Funk vibe is carried over to the seriously commercial "Dance With Me Tonight" – Wansel handling the lead vocals while Bobby Malach and Al Harrison give it some brass. Derek Graves anchors the whole butt-shaking-dancefloor-filler song with crystal clear Bass plucks that centre a keyboard solo from Steve Gold – so Con Funk Shun.

 

Seeing the potential of a smooch on the A with a Bopper on the flip - Philadelphia International tried "Dance With Me Tonight" as the B-side to the next track - "Holdin' On" (June 1977 US 45-single on Philadelphia International ZS8 3629) – the second and last single off the album. "Holdin' On" had the added attraction of duet backing vocals from the Philly label fave Jean Carn (with the MFSB strings drawing out the 4:51 minute lurch).

 

Back to Slap-Bass Funk with a keyboard and horn swirl for "Ode Infinitum" – an instrumental that pumps those Bass and Drum fills to the max. Side 2 opens with the synth-soloing and funky-pleasing "Disco Lights" which the label coupled with "Ode Infinitum" as the B-side to the first 45-single off the LP in April 1977 (Philadelphia International ZS8 3616). Sounding like Rick Wakeman having a Stevie Wonder moment, "Disco Lights" is a good funker that builds up to DW singing about lights shining bright. CTI Records drummer Idris Muhammad lends his sticks to "What The World Is Coming To" – a mellow keyboard pleader that opens with children playing. Al Harrison provides the Flugelhorn Solo and a lovely piece of music it is – not dissimilar to say Donald Byrd on "Spaces And Places".

 

The big piece however for me on Side 2 is "Dreams Of Tomorrow" - where Jean Carn takes lead vocals helped by Dennis Harris on guitar and Charles Collins on Drums. It swirls and sashays like really good Narada Michael Walden and the audio is fabulous too.

 

CD2 opens with the hugely popular slappy-bass "All Night Long" which Philly tried as a lead-in 45 (Philadelphia International ZS8 3640) before the album was released with the title track from his preceding album "What The World Is Coming To" on its flip. In Britain the 12" single (with "Disco Lights") on it's flip has always been a sought after gem. And yet for such an upbeat Funk tune - it seems hard to imagine now that it didn't chart on either side of the pond.

 

It's followed by the social-consciousness keyboard workout "Solutions" (lyrics by Cynthia Biggs) which cleverly features news broadcasts after the chorus (it charted Stateside in June 1978 in the lower end of the top 100). Rapid-fire Funk and Prog Jazz follows with the superb title track "Voyage" - the kind of Trumpet/Keyboard battle that Jazz-Fusion dancers love. We go Philly smoocher versus Dexter Wansel with "Time Is The Teacher" - the kind of Grover Washington, Jr. Saxophone funk that would populate "Winelight" in 1980.

 

With his sights firmly on the Dancefloors of America - "I'll Never Forget (My Favorite Disco)" has a slinky Chi-like bass line with The Jones Girls out front singing about the joys of Studio 54. But then we veer away from commercialism and hit Jazz Fusion Nirvana - the sexily wonderful "The Sweetest Pain" featuring Terri Wells on Lead Vocals. It's as if everything that was great about the period and PI's arrangements came together in one place - the super-sweet rhythm, the harp strings being plucked, the beautifully placed brass fills - what a winner. Bit of a meisterwork frankly and for DJs what a shame they never put out a 12" of it - the US-only 7" was on ZS9 3724 featuring "Funk Attack" as its B-side. Philly also tried the upbeat Kool & The Gang vibe of "It's Been Cool" as a single but it did little business. Better is The Jones Girls getting all breathy on "Let Me Rock You" and The Crusaders groove of the finisher "One For The Road" has always been an underrated gem. Speaking of "Funk Attack" earlier - it occurs to me that it has a vocal I'd swear the young Prince heard and nicked wholesale.

 

After 4 LPs that didn't crack the top 40 (the superb "Time Is Slipping Away" only managed 58 on Billboard's R&B album charts) - Wansel went back to the control at Philadelphia International - only to spoken of in hushed tones by Jazz Funkers for the next three decades.

 

"...Hold me real tight when it starts to storm..." – Wansel sang on "One Million Miles From The Ground" and I agree. A smart and timely reissue by BGO in March 2023 and one I am reliving all over again. Embrace this space I say...