Uploaded December 2021 | Updated September 2026, 24 minutes ago
(1) ""Because My Baby Don't Mean 'Maybe' Now" (Walter Donaldson)
(2) "Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life" (Victor Herbert-Rida Johnson Young) Martha Trippeer: pianist/soprano
(3) "Changes" (Walter Donaldson) with vocal Trio
Scroll down for personnel
The all-girl band known as The 14 Bricktops was originally created by Midwest talent agents Charles E. Green and Harry Z. Freeman. Originally called the Paramount Parisians, the band
toured the Midwest beginning in 1925. By the next year they were known as the Parisian Redheads and had grown to 13 members by 1927. Some members had already played in all-girl orchestras of bands such as Harry Waiman’s Debutantes, the Harmony Belles, and Beth Vance & Her Co-eds. Other members would go on to tour with the largest of these, the 22-piece Ingenues All-Girl Orchestra. While the Ingenues were compared to the full-sized Whiteman Orchestra, the Redheads image was more collegiate like Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians.
The “mistress of ceremonies” was a glamorous young lady named Betty Moore, who at one time was billed as “the female Al Jolson.” When Miss Moore was indisposed, a call was placed to Bobbie Grice (born Eva Griess), who had been playing drums and singing in Indiana dance bands. Early in 1927 Grice, the only member wearing slacks, was made mistress of ceremonies and delighted audiences with her uninhibited dances and enthusiastic conducting. Out-of-state touring led to rave reviews in the trade magazines, leading to an engagement at New York’s legendary Palace Theatre. A legal conflict with Babe Eagan & Her Hollywood Redheads led to a name change in the summer of 1928. The group’s popularity did not diminish with the new name The Parisian Bricktops. In an effort to promote talking pictures, East Coast Vitaphone Studios engaged stage acts that were appearing in the New York region, and the Parisian Bricktops made two 9-minute musical shorts that were released in 1929. At the urging of Edward Albee, head of the Keith-Orpheum vaudeville circuit (of which the Palace was the flagship), the Bricktops’ name was not included in the film. The shorts are attributed to “Green’s Twentieth Century Faydetts,” and “Green’s Flapperettes: Leading Girl Jazz Band.” (Green had used a similar name for an earlier female orchestra.) It was thought that films of vaudeville performers would discourage audiences from attending live shows. Of course, after the stock market crash of 1929 this all came true, and many theatres severely reduced or eliminated the number of acts playing their theatres.
1927 Personnel includes: Claudia Peck, Mitzie Bush (Miriam Quackenbush), Ruth Hutchins, Judy Fay, Dorothy Hardy, Bobbie Grice, Alice Miller, Margaret Wheeler, Martha Green, Gene Pierson, "Jerry" Evans, Odetta "Peggy Price" Fatland, Grace Brown.
“Changes” parody, Bobbie Grice
There’s changes in weather
There’s changes in style
There’s change in our pockets
To stay there awhile
You change your clothes
You change your hose
You change your plan
Perhaps your man
Stop! Go!
The change in traffic sign
Yes! No!
The Redheads changed their mind
There’s lots of changes
With that you’ll agree
Like changes in the world
(1) ""Because My Baby Don't Mean 'Maybe' Now" (Walter Donaldson)
(2) "Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life" (Victor Herbert-Rida Johnson Young) Martha Trippeer: pianist/soprano
(3) "Changes" (Walter Donaldson) with vocal Trio
Scroll down for personnel
The all-girl band known as The 14 Bricktops was originally created by Midwest talent agents Charles E. Green and Harry Z. Freeman. Originally called the Paramount Parisians, the band
toured the Midwest beginning in 1925. By the next year they were known as the Parisian Redheads and had grown to 13 members by 1927. Some members had already played in all-girl orchestras of bands such as Harry Waiman’s Debutantes, the Harmony Belles, and Beth Vance & Her Co-eds. Other members would go on to tour with the largest of these, the 22-piece Ingenues All-Girl Orchestra. While the Ingenues were compared to the full-sized Whiteman Orchestra, the Redheads image was more collegiate like Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians.
The “mistress of ceremonies” was a glamorous young lady named Betty Moore, who at one time was billed as “the female Al Jolson.” When Miss Moore was indisposed, a call was placed to Bobbie Grice (born Eva Griess), who had been playing drums and singing in Indiana dance bands. Early in 1927 Grice, the only member wearing slacks, was made mistress of ceremonies and delighted audiences with her uninhibited dances and enthusiastic conducting. Out-of-state touring led to rave reviews in the trade magazines, leading to an engagement at New York’s legendary Palace Theatre. A legal conflict with Babe Eagan & Her Hollywood Redheads led to a name change in the summer of 1928. The group’s popularity did not diminish with the new name The Parisian Bricktops. In an effort to promote talking pictures, East Coast Vitaphone Studios engaged stage acts that were appearing in the New York region, and the Parisian Bricktops made two 9-minute musical shorts that were released in 1929. At the urging of Edward Albee, head of the Keith-Orpheum vaudeville circuit (of which the Palace was the flagship), the Bricktops’ name was not included in the film. The shorts are attributed to “Green’s Twentieth Century Faydetts,” and “Green’s Flapperettes: Leading Girl Jazz Band.” (Green had used a similar name for an earlier female orchestra.) It was thought that films of vaudeville performers would discourage audiences from attending live shows. Of course, after the stock market crash of 1929 this all came true, and many theatres severely reduced or eliminated the number of acts playing their theatres.
1927 Personnel includes: Claudia Peck, Mitzie Bush (Miriam Quackenbush), Ruth Hutchins, Judy Fay, Dorothy Hardy, Bobbie Grice, Alice Miller, Margaret Wheeler, Martha Green, Gene Pierson, "Jerry" Evans, Odetta "Peggy Price" Fatland, Grace Brown.
“Changes” parody, Bobbie Grice
There’s changes in weather
There’s changes in style
There’s change in our pockets
To stay there awhile
You change your clothes
You change your hose
You change your plan
Perhaps your man
Stop! Go!
The change in traffic sign
Yes! No!
The Redheads changed their mind
There’s lots of changes
With that you’ll agree
Like changes in the world
