Soul Merchants

Soul Merchants were once described as a mix of The Doors and Sisters of Mercy. This observation is true, but it describes only a portion of their sound. In two short years (1985-87) they wrote and recorded over one hundred songs. The band blended eclectic musical favorites, life experiences, and friendships into a volatile brew.Soul Merchants began in March ’85 as a noisy three-piece influenced by Einstürzende Neubauten, Joy Division and ’60s pop and rock. Malcom Black and Michael Moore bonded as soon as they began playing and writing together. Black coined the name and they quickly recruited Paul Ciciora for drumming duties. A set list and image were established, and within just three weeks the band was playing live dates.Several shows in the Denver-Boulder area brought the attention of Bob Ferbrache. He recorded “God’s Hand Touched Him, and He Slept,” the first chapter of Soul Merchants recordings. He then joined the band, playing keyboards and second guitar. Jerry Cuba replaced Ciciora in October ’85 and the band began writing for their next release, Before the Gates.Before the Gates was released in May ’86, and it quickly became clear that the time was right for the leap to vinyl. Gates of Heaven was released in September ’86.Soul Merchants also recorded Let It Brood which went unreleased at the time. It featured their strongest material yet, and demonstrated that greater success may have been close at hand had they reached a wider audience. Soul Merchants disbanded in March ’87 after playing the inaugural South By Southwest in Austin.Smooch Records released the forty song compilation, 1985-1987, on October 23rd 2007. Vintage four-track cassette recordings exhumed from the vault. Listen now to Soul Merchants: Denver’s premier purveyors of psychedelic doom.