LARRY'S REBELS
Painter Man
(Kenny Pickett - Eddie Phillips)
New Zealand 1967
#6 NZ

Single on Impact.

Popular band, from Ponsonby in Auckland, often in the New Zealand Top 10 in the late 60s. Vocalist Larry Morris later went solo and had six singles on the NZ charts 1969-1983. See also The Rebels.

Larry’s Rebels were New Zealand’s Animals. Our Paul Revere and the Raiders. The top notch local pop band with bluesy bite, who released a handful of vital discs, and for a brief few years were all over the media, the charts and the nation’s bedroom walls. They were Auckland’s first great homegrown pop band of the modern pop era; hard working and electrifying live. Their cover versions nipped at the heels of the originals.
      - Andrew Schmidt at Audio Culture.

Painter Man was apparently pulled from airplay by national broadcaster NZBC after one listener complained that its lyrics were offensive. See Bruce Sergent's NZ music site which expands on the story and quotes a NZ newspaper of the day.

See also Larry & The Rebels' Mo'reen, Do What You Gotta Do, It's Not True and I Feel Good.

Further reading: 1. The Larry's Rebels page at Bruce Sergent's New Zealand music website. 2. Larry Morris interview with Murray Cammick at NZ music website Audio Culture (January 2016). 3. Larry's Rebels profile at Audio Culture.

Suggestion from Terry Stacey.
THE CREATION
Painter Man
(Kenny Pickett - Eddie Phillips)
UK 1966
Original version
#36 UK #8 Germany

Single on Planet, produced by the label's founder Shel Talmy, producer of The Kinks, The Who, and (in London sessions that resulted in Friday On My Mind) Australia's Easybeats.

Painter Man was written by Kenny Pickett and Eddie Phillips. Along with drummer Jack Jones, they were the original members who were still in Hertfordshire beat band Mark Four when they became The Creation in 1966. Future Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood joined the band not long before it broke up in 1968.

Further reading: 1. The Creation from British Beat Boom [archived]. 2. The Wikipedia article on The Creation gives a detailed history 1963-present.

Later versions:

BONEY M
Painter Man
(Kenny Pickett - Eddie Phillips)
Germany 1978
Later version

Single on Hansa International by popular disco group formed in West Germany by producer-songwriter-singer Frank Farian. 

Also recorded by Mass (1977, German metal band) and by The Hiltonaires (1978, possibly the group that recorded on Jamaican label Muzik City).

Further reading: Frank Farian timeline at his website.
THE NON-PAREILS
Painter Man
(Mick McDougal - Jim Reynolds)
USA 1967
Red herring

SAME TITLE BUT NOT THE SAME SONG AS
'PAINTER MAN' BY LARRY'S REBELS.

RECENTLY UPDATED

Single on Five Star Productions label, Tampa, Florida [YouTube]. B-side of Willow Tree.

The Non-Pareils were apparently from the Madeira-Redington Beach area [source].

Band member Monty Smith is still an active musician (2017) with a Facebook page here . He notes at another Facebook page that the band's slogan was Unequalled in musical entertainment.

I'm guessing this disc #FS-101 was a one-off for the label, as it was for the band.

Corrections or comments? Contact the writer.