San Franciscos ( Almost) Forgotten All Girl Band: The Ace of Cups , KQED Arts

Amidst the cultural revolution of late 60s San Francisco, five women reimagined the girl band in drastic fashion which might be why you haven t heard of them. With original songs that reflected their circumstances, the Ace of Cups played with groups like The Band, Jefferson Airplane, and even Jimi Hendrix, an avowed fan. The HaightAshbury of 1967 was a place of endless possibility: new ways of living, an influx of ideas, and political and cultural revolution were in the air. And yet amidst this anything goes scene, one band still stuck out as an anomaly. The Ace of Cups didnt set out to be an allgirl band. The group s original five members Mary Gannon, Marla Hunt, Denise Kaufman, Mary Ellen Simpson and Diane Vitalich came together guided by the communal spirit that blanketed Summer of Loveera San Francisco. Up to that point, most allfemale bands had worn matching outfits and played cover songs. Despite their impact in San Francisco, in the intervening years th