Ambrose

Ambrose0:00

This download is the only extract the BBC has of this edition of Desertin and Discs. The presenter was Roy Plumley.

Ambrose0:08

Ambrose, where were you born? In London.

Ambrose0:10

Was there any musical tradition in the family?

Presenter0:14

None really, no. Uh my first uh initiation into this musical profession was when my father brought in a a f a fellow that was fiddling in the street to give me my first violin lesson. How old were you then? Uh between six and seven. When did you decide that music was to be your career? Well, really, my father decided that he made a deal with me that he'd give me a shilling for every hour I practised.

Ambrose0:38

So you are a professional right from the start?

Presenter0:40

Immediately. What was your very first job? My first job was in New York.

Ambrose0:45

What you're doing there?

Presenter0:46

Well, I was sent there. Mother became very nervous when we had the first Zeppelin during the First War, so I was sent off to my aunt in New York. Mhm.

Presenter0:55

So that was where you had your first job. What was it?

Ambrose0:56

I'm ready.

Presenter0:57

It was at Riserwebbers and uh there was a a fellow there had a a band called Emo Coleman, he was an Englishman and I plucked up enough courage I went to him and he gave me a job. How long did you stay? Two weeks. Oh dear. And after that? After that I found a job with a five piece band at a place called Churchill's in New York.

Presenter1:19

How long did

Ambrose1:19

That ler

Presenter1:19

Uh that lasted about a month.

Ambrose1:22

No progress.

Presenter1:23

Oh progress. Yes, but I must tell you here that we will all throw now the whole band street.

Ambrose1:27

Yeah.

Presenter1:29

And after that?

Presenter1:30

After that I went to

Presenter1:33

place called uh the Palais Royal and now that was really a very perhaps the most fashionable place on Broadway. Had a big Huge big cabaret show there. Every six months it was changed, yes. And I got a job there as the sixth uh sixth violin. There were six fiddles and I got the job. Very glad to get the job, sixth fiddle.

Ambrose1:50

Yeah.

Presenter1:51

But there's a very strange story here. Um we had a conductor at that time and he was taken sick.

Presenter1:58

And so somebody had to stand there when the first and second fiddlebray had been there for quite a long time.

Presenter2:03

between them. There was quite a dispute as to who would finish that particular six months. Anyway, it was decided for Peace that the little boy Johnny Ball was to take over for yesterday was me, take over for that period until the new show started.

Ambrose2:13

What's the take?

Presenter2:18

Now, the next the last five weeks at this same time, we had to start rehearsing for this new show. They brought.

Ambrose2:25

Yeah.

Presenter2:26

Uh

Ambrose2:26

Yeah.

Presenter2:26

It

Ambrose2:26

Was easy. To take Uh

Presenter2:27

Yeah.

Ambrose2:27

Yeah.

Presenter2:27

Over after you Yeah.

Ambrose2:27

But

Presenter2:28

Oh my dear fellow, I could never have done it otherwise. I mean the page boy could have taken over there.

Ambrose2:33

Because you've had no conducting experience.

Presenter2:34

None I've had I've none no experience of any kind, you see.

Ambrose2:34

Real.

Presenter2:37

And then when this new conductor came in, presumably for this new show,

Presenter2:42

He took the show with rehearsed for five weeks, so by the time this show started, I.

Presenter2:48

I was quite confident I knew the show like other men and another strange thing happened.

Presenter2:52

After the first two or three nights

Presenter2:55

The man that owned the place

Presenter2:57

Told the contractor that he he doesn't doesn't like this man. He wants that young boy who stood up to previous five weeks. You again. Myself, and briefly, that's how we came Bertram Ambrose at this orchestra. Ah, that's how things happen. With your name and like.

Presenter3:13

Oh, lights and everything. And my my hat went a little bit on the side too. I was quite important then. How old were you then? Not quite seventeen, yes. Mhm. And after the Palais Royal?

Presenter3:24

After the Palais Royal I went to a place called the Club de Van, where during this period I had a telegram that my mother was seriously ill, that I had to come back, and I did come back here to London. To London, yes.

Ambrose3:33

To London.

Presenter3:35

Where you stayed?

Presenter3:37

Well, yes. Why was there? Well, rather a strange thing. I was walking along Piccadilly one day and I met uh a lady. Her name was Cynthia Cricket. She was a very famous dancer and danced with us at the Pellero at that show.

Presenter3:50

And she asked me, Would I?

Presenter3:52

take a little band in uh during her stay.

Presenter3:55

and and play just for two or three weeks, which I said yes, I would do, but only for two or three weeks. Where was this? This was at the Embassy Club and as you know, of course, I I stayed seven and a half years.

Presenter4:06

Was it at

Ambrose4:06

The embassy that you started making records and broadcasting?

Presenter4:09

We made records there, and you see, because the facilities for for broadcasting weren't very good from there. It was too small a place. And then Sir Francis Toll was just opening the Mayfair Hotel.

Presenter4:21

And uh he asked me would I open the place?

Presenter4:26

And it gave me an opportunity now to s spreading all to the public until the Embassy Club is only society you see and with the broadcasting facilities, so I accepted that and opened that Mafa Hotel. And you were on the air every Saturday night? Uh yes, for about five and a half years, yes. From ten thirty till twelve. That's right.

Ambrose4:36

And

Presenter4:43

Who are your vocalists?

Ambrose4:44

In those days we'll see.

Presenter4:45

You know the Sam Brown and L Carlisle, yes.

Presenter4:49

Okay

Ambrose4:49

Great days

Presenter4:51

Well I love them.

Ambrose4:53

And after those years at the Mayor Fair, where

Presenter4:55

Well, after those years at the Mafer Hotel, uh George Bleck asked me if I would like to do a tour.

Presenter5:03

Through the country in their theatres. And he started us off with two weeks at the palladium. And then we went around the whole country. No, in those days the music halls, you know, we had about thirty-five to forty different musicals and they took up most of our time. And you made some films too. Yes, three films. I became a great actor. And you had your

Ambrose5:25

Yeah.

Presenter5:26

Your own clown?

Ambrose5:27

Uh

Presenter5:27

A C Rosa

Ambrose5:27

Zero said

Ambrose5:28

Uh

Presenter5:28

And

Ambrose5:28

Enormous record sales not only in this country, but also in the United States.

Presenter5:32

Yes, we were very fortunate. They seemed to like our records in America too, yes.

Ambrose5:36

Yes. And this was the way things were right up to the war. Right up to the war, yes. Of course in those pre war days there were were private parties that you played.

Presenter5:45

That are on a scale that we don't know. Oh, yes, of course. In fact, it rather amazes you to know that on one occasion I had nine different orchestras out uh for these parties, yes. In one evening. In one evening, yes. And of course you played for many royal functions. Yes, I had the honour of that, yes. Buckingham Palace and uh

Presenter6:03

Windsor Castle, and that brings a memory that I think is is very sweet, that we were always given instructions at Buckingham Palace never to play any dances too long, in fact just too short encores, you see.

Presenter6:17

And uh on this occasion we were playing a Viennese waltz, in fact the Blue Danube, which is His Late Majesty King George the Sixth.

Presenter6:26

It was rather partial to waltz. And after we played this waltz and the tour, of course, of course.

Presenter6:32

We stopped. But I must tell you this, that in the room that uh that we played on a balcony and the ballroom extended beneath the balconies. And when we'd finished, I heard a little clapping, you see, and of course I said, Well, I must ignore this.

Ambrose6:42

Yeah.

Presenter6:47

And then and to my horror, a moment later, I saw King George looking up to me, saying to me, Mr. Can I have a little uncle? And he was clapping. I didn't know that.

Presenter6:59

Yeah.

Ambrose6:59

So we had some more in blue.

Presenter7:00

Of uh