Stepping back in time to a day when Ole Olsen & His Commodores ruled the Vancouver dance floor
Months ago, while searching through the City of Vancouver Archives, I came across some interesting shots by photographer Stuart Thomson. Thomson was a professional photographer who lived in Vancouver from 1910-1960. During that time he spent a number of years capturing images of Vancouver’s businesses, streets, buildings, ships, sports, harbours, and panoramas. Among Thomson’s photos were a large number of band photos featuring a wide variety of professional and amateur bands.
Of all the band photos the Thomson took, I was most interested by the following shot of the Commodore Orchestra. The image is dated January 12, 1933.
I’m fascinated by a few of the pieces of gear that the band used. On the left we see what might be one of those Shastock Clarinet Megaphones, and the alto player on the left seems to have an early microphone beside him. (Presumably for the violin, and not the saxophone.) 😉
Interesting head on the bass drum. Notice the gong behind the drummer. More about that (and the other instruments on stage) in a bit, but it would seem the drummer had quite the array of auxiliary percussion equipment at his disposal.
Background of the Commodore Cabaret
1 The Commodore Ballroom was built as an amazing piece of Art Deco architecture. Given Vancouver’s love affair with out with the old, in with the new, it’s surprising that the building still stands, and that it still retains its Art Deco feel.
The Commodore opened its doors on December 3, 1930, and was built as an alternative to the ever-increasingly crowded dance floor of the Hotel Vancouver. However, as they say, timing is everything. The stock market crash of the same year caused the Commodore to close its doors just three months later, as Vancouverites just didn’t feel they had the disposal income to spend going dining and dancing.
However, the two managing directors had a very crafty formula to get bums back in the seats, and dancers back on the dance floor: Every Saturday night they featured dinner and dancing for $1 per person—which according to the Bank of Canada’s Inflation Calculator would be $14.89 in 2017 dollars—while for the rest of the week the ballroom was available to rent for private parties, student celebrations, and company functions.
The formula worked, and the Commodore carried on this way for decades using house bands, featured acts, and private rentals.
A new lease holder added a liquor license in 1969, and the Commodore Ballroom was born! Anyone familiar with the music scene in Vancouver has heard of, been to, or in some cases, performed in the Commodore Ballroom. Most recently, The Commodore was named one of the Top 10 Most Influential Clubs in North America, and the Most Influential Club in Canada by Billboard Magazine in 2011.
Check out the History page on the Commodore Ballroom website. It lists 80+ years of acts who have performed there, including the likes of: The Dorsey Brothers, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, George Burns, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Tina Turner, B.B. King, David Bowie, Blondie, The Police, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Snoop Dogg.
Getting back to Ole Olsen & His Commodores
According to The Commodore Ballroom’s website:
Over the years, the Commodore hired a succession of house bands that would play exclusively for years until one contract ended and another began. It was the era of big bands and 12-14 piece Orchestras. The first was Wendell Dorey and his orchestra; the last was Dal Richards, who played for three years beginning in 1965. In between were such names as Don Flynne, Bob Lyon, Charlie Pawlett, Ole Olsen & His Commodores, Doug Kirk, George Calangis, Len Chamberlain and Mart Kenney – who would continue to appear up until 1973. Longtime Vancouverites might even recall on Saturday Nights on when the Orchestra performances were broadcast live on the radio.
Source: History – Commodore Ballroom
Based on Stuart Thomson’s photo, we know that Ole Olsen & His Commodores were the house band in 1933. While researching this Vancouver band, I came across an archived edition of the University of British Columbia’s student newspaper, The Ubyssey.
In the November 8, 1940 edition of The Ubyssey, I found the following couple of mentions for Ole Olsen’s band:
The Class of ’41 had its Senior Class Formal at the Commodore on November 14. Why they would choose to have it on a Thursday is anyone’s guess. Although the Commodore didn’t have a liquor license at the time, so sanctioned drinking wasn’t really an issue. (Although rumour has it that Vancouver’s strict post-prohibition liquor laws didn’t stop the club from being an illegal drinking establishment.)
Notice the ticket prices for “outsiders” are $1.50. In 2017 those tickets would cost $24.90.
Just a week later UBC students were back at the Commodore dancing to the music of Ole Olsen and His Commodores, when they held their Chinese-themed Arts-Aggie Prom there on November 21.
Note that:
To add further to the exotic oriental atmosphere, a slave gong will mark the end of each dance.
Yup, that would be one use for the gong behind the drummers head… But then so is this… 😈
Oh my… I can’t imagine that either the drummer, or the UBC students of 1940, could ever have imagined something like The Rocky Horror Picture Show just a little over 3 short decades later… But I digress….
Big Bands and doubling
If you currently play in, or have ever played in a Big Band, as a sax player you know that you expected to double. In The Moonliters that I currently play in, the sax section are the first players there, and the last to leave. Hell, it’s not uncommon to see the entire trumpet section to walk out the door before we’ve even opened up all our cases. Ah the joys of doubling…
Ole Olsen and His Commodores took this doubling thing to a crazy level though. Even the trumpet player in the back has a French horn and a violin, as well as his trumpet. And the trombone player seems to have a trumpet in a stand, as well as what appears to be a metal clarinet by his feet. Combine this with the all the instruments that the two sax players and Ole Olsen himself played, and you’ve got a virtual smörgåsbord of sound. I’m guessing that Ole Olsen and His Commodores would have been great band to hear.
Whatever happened to Ole Olsen, or is it Olson?
Depending on what sources you look at, Ole’s last name was either spelled Olsen or Olson. UBC, which mentioned him quite a few times in The Ubyssey, seemed to always have spelled his name the latter way. Other mentions of his tend to end his last name with “sen”.
I did searches for both spellings looking for obituaries, or any mentions of what might have happened to him, but nothing popped. Other than his work at the Commodore, he seems to be a ghost.
If anyone knows anything about the man, drop me a note (email links are located on the top, right side, and bottom of all the pages), or leave a comment please. I’d like to know a bit more about this saxophone-playing band leader from Vancouver’s early years as a big city.
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1 This background section is from the History page of The Commodore Ballroom website.
The gentleman holding what looks like a french horn is my Grandfather. His name is Edwin Henry Larden and he died of a heart attack in the mid 1950’s. He was predominantly the trumpet player. My dad told me this was not actually a French Horn, but some other instrument I had never heard of. I cannot say that I have any knowledge of him playing the violin, but I am going to ask my father about this.
The instrument looking like a French Horn is actually a Mellophone. I also learned today that he could play the violin. I never knew that about my Grandfather. He died in 1952
Ole Olson was my grandfather. He passed in Vancouver sometime around 1950-51 when my mother was 10 (she was born in ’41.) He also played in the ballroom in the Vancouver Hotel as the house orchestra for some time .
Barbara O’Gara
Dec 14, 2017
Ole Olson was my father. He passed away July 16 1952. I was 10 and don’t have a lot of memories of his time at the Commodore. My mother made a scrap book of his time at the Commodore. It’s full of neat stuff!!
Hello Barbara.
Thank you so much for replying to this article. Your dad seems to have been one of the most influential musicians in Vancouver during his time.
Perhaps after the holidays we could arrange to chat. I would very much like to know more about your dad, and if possible, write a really good article about his musical career.
I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
Warmest Regards,
Helen
Hello.
Thank you for reaching out to me through this article. As I mentioned in my comment to your mom, I would really like to do an article about your grandfather in the New Year. I’ll send you an email after the holidays and perhaps we could arrange a time to chat.
I believe that it is important for musicians’ work not to be forgotten as we move forward at this incredible pace. We current musicians, owe a debt to all those who came before. People like your grandfather, paved the way for the work we do today.
Wishing you and yours a warm and festive holiday and Christmas season.
Best Regards,
Helen Kahlke