Ace of Cups Extended Play
Ace of Cups dig deep with 6 new songs!
By 1969, pioneering West Coast all-female psych-rockers Ace of Cups had already written an astonishing 60+ brilliantly original songs and were a formidable live act, fielding accolades from the likes of Jimi Hendrix, and Jerry Garcia. The band’s new Extended Play E.P. uncovers four ‘lost’ songs written during that magical, lysergic era, and completes a remarkable run of three albums since their sudden reemergence in 2016 to begin recording their debut album – a goal that had eluded them when their star was burning hot and quick. Extended Play channels the band’s wild electricity into patience and strength – “You Don’t Understand” shimmers with Byrdsy jangle and simmering Spector-esque tension, all imbued with honesty, confidence, wisdom, and a lifetime of shared history and deep musical bonds.
Spacious acoustic guitars frame beautiful vocal harmonies on “Baby Come Home” and showcases the band’s natural confidence with roots material – a facet of their sound as integral as the turned-on, plugged-in electricity of their late-‘60s live sets. The song features a flawless contribution from mandolin virtuoso and Jerry Garcia collaborator David Grisman and buoyantly soulful fiddle runs from Sid Page, member and string arranger for Sly and the Family Stone and Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks. The warm welcome of the acoustic arrangement and the simple, homespun melody allows room for Grisman and Page to shine, as do the sublime layers of vocal harmony the Ace of Cups channel so instinctively. Songwriter Denise Kaufman sings about yearning for her then-husband (and Bay Area jazz legend) Noel Jewkes to return from tour, fresh-baked bread waiting and no questions asked.
Ace of Cups Sing Your Dreams
Ace of Cups, the pioneering all-women band from the ‘60s San Francisco psychedelic scene, are back with Sing Your Dreams!
Order the Digital Release here!
CD $14.99 | |||||
LP $21.99 |
Sing Your Dreams is the stunning new collection of 12 songs and stories and features collaborations with Jackson Browne, Sheila E. and the Escovedo Family, Bakithi Kumalo (whose iconic bass-playing was integral to the sound of Paul Simon’s Graceland), jam-band guitar luminary Steve Kimock, peace activist and counterculture icon Wavy Gravy, Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna), and David Freiberg (Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Starship).
The Ace of Cups’ longstanding attitude of total creative freedom and a fierce commitment to humanity continue to flow unabated on Sing Your Dreams. Built on a rock-solid foundation of blues and soul, infused with the ageless tendrils of folk melodies and world music rhythms, the new album reveals the group’s innate grasp of the power of song, in whatever forms it might be presented.
The maxim of love and togetherness that is core to Ace of Cups is as strong as ever on this new record. These women are part of a generation for whom social justice was—and still is—a major concern, and in the light of the tension and tumult of recent events, we could all benefit from their courage and positivity.
Sing Your Dreams track list:
- Dressed In Black
- Jai Ma
- Put a Woman In Charge
- Sister Ruth
- Basic Human Needs
- I’m on Your Side
- Gemini
- Boy What’ll You Do Then
- Little White Lies
- Waller St. Blues
- Lucky Stars
- Slowest River/Made For Love
Order the Digital Release here!
CD $14.99 | |||||
LP $21.99 |
Ace Of Cups
The debut studio album by the pioneering all-female rock band from the 1960s San Francisco Ballroom scene.
2 CD $18.99 | |||||
2 LP $26.99 |
“I heard some groovy sounds last time in the States, like this girl group, Ace Of Cups, who write their own songs and the lead guitarist is hell, really great.” —Jimi Hendrix
Ace Of Cups may not have been the first all-women rock and roll band, but they were the one that mattered within that bizarre wrinkle in time that constituted late 1960s San Francisco. Converging from a diverse set of backgrounds in the Haight-Ashbury just before the Summer of Love, these young women would constitute an independently-driven, uniquely-inspired organization, equally capable of feather-light poetry, funkier soul and further-out freakery than most of their more celebrated male compatriots within the psychedelic ballrooms. Yet despite the avowed interest of the industry and obvious hometown support, the original Ace Of Cups never got to make a record. Until now…
High Moon Records is honored to present the first studio record by the mesmerizing Ace Of Cups. Produced by Dan Shea (Santana, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey), and recorded at Marin’s Laughing Tiger Studios, the record’s twenty-one tracks span fifty years of masterful songwriting, that sound as timeless as they do cathartic.
Anchored by fervent playing and beautiful harmonies from the Ace, classic songs such as “Taste Of One,” “Pretty Boy,” “Circles” and “Simplicity” have been given new energy and focus while previously unheard newly written material reveals additional depth and soul. Special guests include legendary players (and long time Ace of Cups friends) Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, and Charlie Musselwhite as well as lead vocal turns by Bob Weir on “The Well”, Taj Mahal on “Life In Your Hands”, Peter Coyote on “As The Rain”, and Buffy Sainte-Marie on “Pepper In The Pot”. Despite the sheer number of songs and guests on the album, and the range of material, there is a remarkable consistency born from the band’s and musicians’ deep personal connection and musical bond.
“The Renaissance faire that was the crossroads of Haight and Ashbury found its female voice in Ace Of Cups, though it’s a disservice to view their musicality and dedication to craft through the prism of gender. Their knowing lyrics, instrumental excursions, and divine harmonies resonate beyond their time, and it is a beautiful and bountiful remembrance that they are they getting the long-awaited respect they so genuinely deserve.” —Lenny Kaye
TRACK LISTING
LP 1 / CD1
- Introduction: There’s a Record Being Made
- Feel Good
- Pretty Boy
- Fantasy 1&4
- Circles
- We Can’t Go Back Again
- The Well (feat. Bob Weir)
- Taste of One
- Mama’s Love
- Simplicity
- Feel It in the Air
LP2 / CD2
- Interlude: Transistor
- Stones
- Interlude: Baby from the Forest of Knolls
- Life in Your Hands (feat. Taj Mahal)
- Macushla/Thelina
- As the Rain (feat. Peter Coyote)
- Daydreamin’ (feat. Taj Mahal)
- On the Road
- Pepper in the Pot (feat. Buffy Sainte-Marie)
- Interlude: Breath
- Indian Summer
- Grandma’s Hands
- Medley (The Hermit / The Flame Still Burns / Gold & Green / Living In The Country)
- Outroduction: It’s Always Safe…
- Music
2 CD $18.99 | |||||
2 LP $26.99 |
You can order the digital release here!
Preview Ace Of Cups
Shipping
Domestic Shipping
USPS: $5.00 for the 2 LP set & $5.00 for the 2 CD set.
All LPs are shipped Media Mail. (USPS Media Mail takes up to 10 business days to arrive.)
International Shipping (Delivery times may vary between 1 – 4 weeks for LPs)
Canada First Class Package: $16.00 for 1st LP & $11.00 for 1st CD
International First Class Package: $24.00 for 1st LP & $14.00 for 1st CD
Inquiries: Contact shop@highmoonrecords.com