Beggars & Thieves

Beggars & Thieves surfaced in the late 1980s as another East Coast pop-metal and hard rock act drawing primary inspiration from Def Leppard and Bon Jovi. The New York group never attained major success yet sustained a modest but loyal following after forming in 1989. That year vocalist Louie Merlino teamed with guitarist Ronnie Mancuso, drummer Bobby Borg, and bassist Phil Soussan, who had previously played in one of Ozzy Osbourne’s post-Black Sabbath solo backing bands. Local New York shows quickly led to an Atlantic contract after only six performances. Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero produced the self-titled debut that Atlantic issued in 1990. Although the aggressive yet melodic album struck many listeners as far from innovative, its songs were widely praised for their catchy, infectious quality. Subsequent personnel departures saw Soussan and Borg exit, leaving Mancuso and Merlino to continue. A new trio coalesced in 1991 with Merlino handling lead vocals, Mancuso covering both bass and guitar, and Bobby Chouinard joining on drums. The band also switched labels that year, departing Atlantic for Epic. The refreshed lineup recorded a second album intended for possible release in 1991 or 1992, but corporate conflicts at Epic resulted in the group’s release without the album ever appearing. No further major-label deals materialized during the 1990s. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and the broader grunge explosion of 1992 and 1993 caused labels to lose interest in pop-metal and hard rock, shifting A&R priorities toward emulators of Kurt Cobain or Eddie Vedder instead of Axl Rose or Vince Neil. Beggars & Thieves nevertheless continued performing and writing. Their shelved Epic album finally reached the public independently in 1997 as Look What You Create, though distribution remained limited. Another independent effort, The Grey Album, appeared in 1999.