When Wansel was 12 years old, he got the job of a gofer for the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia, going to get sandwiches and clothes out of the cleaners for the various acts that performed at the venue like Stevie Wonder and Patti Labelle. Many years later, Wansel would co-write a number one R&B hit for Labelle. In 1975, Wansel met Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff when he was a member of a band called Yellow Sunshine, which also boasted guitarist Roland Chambers who would later become a part of MFSB, the house band for Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records. Becoming a part of the staff creative collective, Wansel began arranging, playing keyboards, and writing songs for the label's acts including the O'Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, and the Intruders, among others.
When Patti Labelle signed with PIR, she recorded Wansel's "Shoot Him on Sight," a song Wansel intended for Jackson Browne, on her 1981 album The Spirit's in It. A song Wansel co-wrote with Kenneth Gamble and Cynthia Biggs, the lovely unrequited love ballad "If Only You Knew," held the number one R&B spot for four weeks in early 1984. It was on her I'm in Love Again LP, which went gold, hitting number four R&B.
A partial list of Wansel-associated sides would include Jean Carn's popular radio-aired LP tracks "I'm in Love Once Again," "You Are All I Need" (music by Instant Funk), "Where Did You Ever Go," "Free Love," and the dance classic “Give It Up"; Shirley Jones' “Last Night I Needed Somebody" and "She Knew About Me"; The Jacksons' "Keep on Dancin'," "Living Together," "Do What You Wanna Do," and "Jump for Joy"; The Stylistics' “Hurry Up This Way Again,"; keyboardist Patrice Rushen covered “Hurry Up This Way Again"; The O'Jays' dreamy ballad "I Really Need You Now"; Phyllis Hyman's radio-aired track "Living All Alone"; The Jones Girls' "We're a Melody", the exotic "Nights Over Egypt," "Love Don't Ever Say Goodbye," and "Why You Wanna Do That to Me"; Archie Bell and the Drells' "Old People"; and Evelyn "Champagne" King's "Till I Come Off the Road" and the radio-aired LP track ballad "The Show Is Over."
Wansel's own charting LPs were Life on Mars from summer 1976 (includes two tracks with Instant Funk, "Life on Mars" and “You Can Be What You Wanna Be"), What the World Is Coming To, Voyager (with its great space-age oriented graphics) from spring 1978, and Time Is Slipping Away from 1979. Several tracks from his LPs were radio-aired LP tracks (the lushly orchestrated “Theme From the Planets," the spacy, funky "Disco Lights") and some songs — "Together Once Again," "One Million Miles From the Ground," and "Holdin' On" — are still in singers' repertoire today. "Holdin' On" was a radio-aired LP track from actor Lawrence Hilton Jacobs' self-titled album produced by Lamont Dozier. "Global Warming" from the 1991 PIR/Zoo/BMG CD Universe Featuring Dexter Wansel received some airplay on smooth jazz radio stations. During the '90s, Wansel continued to work with the reactivated Philadelphia International Records and occasionally toured.
Dexter Wansel-related releases are Grover Washington, Jr. Ultimate Collection, Heaven & Earth-That's Love, Best of MFSB: Love Is the Message, and Best of the Intruders.
Life On Mars
Dexter Wansel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You should be there, it's out of sight, Mars.
You should see it, it ain't so high, Mars.
You should be there, up in the sky, Mars.
Uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu
uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu
uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu aaaaaaaa, Mars Mars Mars Mars.
Uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu
uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu
uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu aaaaaaaa, Mars Mars Mars Mars.
The lyrics to Dexter Wansel's "Life on Mars" suggest a desire for escape, to a place that is out of sight and up in the sky. The repetition of the word "Mars" adds to the otherworldly and dream-like quality of the song. Mars is portrayed as a desirable destination, free from the troubles and challenges of life on Earth. The phrase "You should see it, it ain't so high, Mars" suggests that Mars is not as unattainable as it may seem, offering a glimmer of hope for those seeking an escape.
The repetition of the word "uuu" throughout the song is a common feature of funk music, which was the genre of music that Wansel was known for. The sparse lyrics and repetitive melody are also typical of funk music, which often prioritizes groove and rhythm over complex harmonic structures and poetic lyrics.
Overall, "Life on Mars" is a dreamy and surreal song that encourages listeners to imagine a world beyond their earthly struggles. It reflects the escapist tendencies of not only funk music but the broader cultural context of the 1970s when the song was released.
Line by Line Meaning
You should go there, it is so nice, Mars.
You should consider exploring Mars, as it is a pleasant and attractive place to visit.
You should be there, it's out of sight, Mars.
Visiting Mars would be an unforgettable experience that is beyond ordinary and expected.
You should see it, it ain't so high, Mars.
Although Mars is not as tall as other planets, it still has impressive and breathtaking sights to see.
You should be there, up in the sky, Mars.
Being able to travel to Mars and see it from above would be an extraordinary and remarkable feat.
Uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu
Vocals similar to instrumental sounds.
uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu
Vocals similar to instrumental sounds.
uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu aaaaaaaa, Mars Mars Mars Mars.
Repetitive vocals intended to express enthusiasm and excitement towards Mars.
uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu
Vocals similar to instrumental sounds.
uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu
Vocals similar to instrumental sounds.
uuu uuu uuu uuu uuu aaaaaaaa, Mars Mars Mars Mars.
Repetitive vocals intended to express enthusiasm and excitement towards Mars.
Contributed by Michael H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
J Eshun
A hauntingly melodic space aged funk, one of the brightest moments in Phillys great history, this 1976 set is a masterpiece, with some serious keyboard orientated Funk, thanks to maestro Dexter Wansel, Phillys own producer and keyboard maestro
FHI Prince Peter
Keep up the good work !
Quiet Fire
This was the JAM that introduced me to Dexter Wansel I played this song till the grroves wore off of the LP!!! I couldn't get enough of this song. Timeless!!!!! Thank you Mr. Wansel
Audio70
Hi M. Wansel, I wanted to tell that since I discovered this album, I listen to it very often and it has become one of my favorites in the jazz-rock genre. In general, I really like all your discography. Thank you for composing this awesome music.
Ronimau santi
Jazz-rock? Hahaha
Aletha Boggs
I am in my late sixties oh my God this sounds so good now, all these years later!!! Dexter should gotten much more airtime than he did...Thank for the music that stands the test of time...
Alethab
EE Com
Thank you Mr. Wanzel for your talent and musical gift to us all!
Wayne Johnson
This Took Me To Mars, Straight FIRE 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
sweet one loves
This song takes me back when I was 15 years old. My first experience with jazz
S.O.P.
One of the greatest pieces of music of all time if not, THE greatest piece of music.