At the end of the sixties, during the Summer of Love, Ace Of Cups, founded in San Francisco in 1967 and a friend of the Grateful Dead, were the first pure women's rock band to cause a sensation with an extraordinary style mix that even inspired Jimi Hendrix. But her debut album has only just been released, after more than half a century. A second studio work will follow in 2019, as her guitarist Denise Kaufman announced to eclipsed.
Four of the five original members were on stage when the group performed for the first time at the 2011 75th birthday party of Wavy Gravy, the cult clown and hippie at concerts of Grateful Dead. And in contrast to the sixties, George Wallace, a label manager, was on site on this occasion who had an open ear for the music of the women who have now reached the eighth decade of their lives. Originally, the founder of High Moon Records had come to talk to the group about releasing old concert recordings. After their performance he offered them immediately what they were denied in the sixties: their first studio album. Guitarist Denise Kaufman looks back: "The record labels at that time were interested in the bands from San Francisco, New York and L.A., but we were somehow outsiders. We tried different styles, we wrote our own songs, we took turns in lead singing, we also played the instruments ourselves. The managers at the record companies were not used to that. They were rather looking for groups with four boys like the Beatles, who were adored by the girls. Or they were out on formations with a front man or a front woman. We could not and would not serve with it."
In addition, the five women did not undertake any major US tours, but performed predominantly in San Francisco and the surrounding area. "For example, we were traveling with Jefferson Airplane in Canada, but we used to play locally." Also because it became more and more difficult to reconcile families and concerts. In addition, "we lacked the financial support to set up our own tour". And this despite the fact that they had provided the background vocals for studio recordings by Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Nick Gravenites.
