The Painter / Malcombe [7-inch single]

Description

The Painter – b/w “Malcombe” – is a two-sided 7-inch vinyl single by the American singer and songwriter Benny Hester, released on VMI Records (Vegas Music International) in 1972 (catalogue number VMI.573). Both tracks were lifted from Hester’s debut album simply entitled Benny… released on VMI Records the same year, produced, recorded, and mixed by Brent Maher at United Recording Studios in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both tracks written by Benny Hester with the A side co-written by Jim Stanton. (The title track seems to be a slightly shorter edit of the album track of length 3:42)

Featuring Elvis Presley’s band; Glen Hardin on piano, James Burton on guitar, Jerry Scheff on bass, and Ron Tutt on drums, plus Joe Osborn and Larry Muhoberac who also arranged the orchestra.

The recording was finished, the album was pressed; plans were made for the release of Hester’s debut. Though one morning, Hester got news that a fire had destroyed the masters and existing vinyl. Thus the album was never released to the general market or radio. (Though finally released in 2016, transferred from some promotional vinyl copies, digitally remastered.)

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7-inch Single tracklist:

Side A. “The Painter” – 3:30
Side B. “Malcombe” – 1:56

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