John Edmond, also known as the "Bush Cat", (born 18 November 1936) is a Rhodesian-South African musician and former soldier.
Edmond's musical career began in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His early music career ran parallel to his military service in the Rhodesia Regiment, which he served in from 1960 to 1963. During his time in the military, Edmond often performed his music for his fellow soldiers. Following his time in the military, Edmond relocated to Johannesburg in the mid-1960s, working in both I.T. and music during his initial years of living in South Africa.
Edmond gained increased recognition in 1966 after writing "The U.D.I. Song" for South African singer Nick Taylor, a song which charted in Rhodesia and South Africa and subsequently began a full-time career in music. From 1971 to 1979, Edmond had a career as an armed entertainer for troops in the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Rhodesian Bush War. His work as an entertainer for the military during the Bush War led him to writing and releasing his most notable album Troopiesongs in 1976, which is largely written about the Bush War.
After the Rhodesian Bush War's conclusion and the independence of Zimbabwe, Edmond continued his music career in South Africa. He later started his own record label called Roan Antelope Music, named after the Roan Antelope copper mine in modern-day Zambia that Edmond worked in as a young man, under which he released his own music.
Due to running parallel to his time working for the Rhodesian Armed Forces, Edmond's earlier music often was about military service, major events in Rhodesian military history, and the life of soldiers. In addition to still writing about music related to the lives of soldiers and military service, Edmond's later music also often included topics about notable events and figures in the history of Southern Africa, his own family, and about life and the people of Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, and Christian themes.
Background John Edmond was born on 18 November 1936 in the town of Luanshya, which at the time of his birth was a part of the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia, and is now presently located in Zambia as a part of the country's Copperbelt Province. Edmond's family is of Scottish origin. Edmond and his immediate family split their time between Edinburgh and Luanshya during his childhood. As a teenager, Edmond received further education at the Christian Brothers' College in Pretoria, South Africa.
Edmond was given a mouth organ as a birthday gift from his grandmother at age three and subsequently mastered the instrument within half an hour. As a Boy Scout, he played the bugle and was in the local Scout bugle band. While at school in Edinburgh, he was chosen to sing in the St John's Boys' Choir. At Christian Brothers' College, Edmond frequently took part in the productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, often being in lead roles in these productions, and was also the lead drummer in the college's pipe band. He went on to win the South African Junior drumming championships at the Royal Scottish gathering at Wembley in 1953. After college, Edmond returned to Luanshya and worked at the Roan Antelope copper mine.
Edmond joined Southern Rhodesia's Royal Rhodesia Regiment at Bulawayo. He served with the 3rd Battalion on the Congo border in Nyasaland and Southern Rhodesia. During this time, he bought a guitar at a trading store and met Bill Coleman while in the army. After learning to play the guitar with Coleman, Edmond formed the Bushcats Skiffle Group in 1958 along with two friends from the army, Eugene van der Watt and Ian Kerr. The group succeeded among its peers and progressed into cabaret and rock 'n' roll. After his military service, Edmond went to England to study computers and moved to South Africa in the mid-1960s. He became famous in Rhodesia during the Bush War with his album Troopiesongs. He was also a composer, writing hits like "The U.D.I. Song". After the war and Zimbabwean independence, Edmond recorded albums such as Zimsongs and Zimtrax.
In the 1980's, Edmond founded his own record label called Roan Antelope Music (RAM); since the 1980's the majority of Edmond's music has been published under RAM. One of the first notable works published under RAM was The story of Troopiesongs and the Rhodesian Bush War, a collection of lyrics for Troopiesongs. Prior to the creation of RAM, Edmond's music was published under labels such as Gallo and the now-defunct Satbel.
Since 1987, Edmond and his wife, Theresa, have owned and maintained a resort in South Africa named Kunkuru, located in the Bela-Bela area.
In 2018, Edmond released the album Legends, an album that was written in honor of notable figures of the various peoples and time periods of South Africa, including Paul Kruger, Shaka Zulu, Wolraad Woltemade, and Nelson Mandela. Edmond released his 50th album, Tales of the Birdwatchers.
Discography Album Year Label Notes Troopiesongs – Phase 1 1976 Map Boom Sha-la-la-lo 1971 Storm Troopiesongs – Phase 2 1977 Map Johno! 1972 Storm Goodbye Is The Saddest Song 1975 Satbel The Greatest Hits of John Edmond 1975 Sounds Superb/EMINote on back of cover by John Edmond, written in English and Afrikaans, dated May 1975 Wild And Beautiful And Free 1976 Satbel The Best of John Edmond 1976 Satbel Troopiesongs – Phase 3 1978 Jo'burg Rhodesia The Brave 1979 Trutone Hit Songs of John Edmond 1975 MFP This may also be known as the "Greatest Hits of John Edmond" (1975), as the inside record label on the Greatest Hits states that it is the "Hit Songs of John Edmond". The songs on the Hit Songs label match the jacket of the Greatest Hits (Sounds Superb/EMI). Troopiesongs – Phase 4 1979 Gallo Immortal Hits 1980 Gallo Country Tracks 1981 Gallo From The Heart 1982 Gallo Troopies in Exile 1982 Gallo Love in the Country 1984 Gallo All Night Razzle 1984 Principal BUSHCATS re-formed for this recording The British South Africa Police Centenary Album 1989 RAM The Rhodesia Centenary Album 1890 – 1990 1990 RAM Rhodesians of the World 1992 RAM All Time Rhodesian Evergreens 1999 RAM Reissued 2011. Troopiesongs Complete 1999 RAM 50th Anniversary edition reissued in 2011. Heritage – Where We Come From 2007 RAM Party – All Night Razzle 2007 RAM Aviation Songs RAM Born in Africa RAM By Request 2004 Gallo Friends, Rhodies, Countrymen 2005 RAM Wild and Beautiful and Free 1990 RAM Heritage2007RAM Zimsongs 2011 RAM Songs of the African Bush 2013 RAM Zimtrax RAM Tales of the Game Rangers, Vol. 1 to Vol. 4 See notes RAM Volume 1 (1984), Volume 2 (1987), Volume 3 (1989), Volume 4 (1993) Stories en Liedjies van die Wildtuin, Vol. 1 & 2 RAM The Boer War in Song2012RAMAfrikaans version Die Boere Oorlog In Lied released in 2014 by RAM.Campfire 'n Jamboree2013RAMWith The Campfire SingersSongs of the African Battlefields2014RAMOf Aeroplanes & African Plains2014RAMBoer and Brit Battlefield Heroes2016RAMBattlesongs of Brave Boer and Briton2017RAMFrom the Pen of John Edmond2017RAMLegends2018RAMTales of Bird Watches, Vol.12018RAMSongs of Kruger Park2019RAMTales of Bird Watchers, Vol.22019RAMChristmas in Africa2020RAMIan Douglas Smith: The Man2021RAMA series of interviews with Ian Smith, retelling the stories of his life, with occasional songs and commentary from EdmondSingin' with the Birds2021RAMBallads of the Bushveld2022
Singles Year Label Notes Farewell Britannia 1969 Storm Die Eerste Kersfeesnag 1969 Storm Fairytales 1969 Storm Hit single Round and Round 1970 Storm Hit single Boom Sha-la-la-lo 1971 Storm Hit single written for John by Bruce Woodley of The Seekers while they were in South Africa Pasadena 1972 Map Hit single Every Day, Every Night 1972 Map Hit single Toy Train 1973 Map Hit single Hello Susan 1974 Map Jock of the Bushveld 1975 Map Goodbye Is The Saddest Song 1975 Map Hit single Nomad of the Kalahari 1976 Map One Day He'll Call Me Daddy 1976 Map It's Good To See You 1977 Jo'burg Blue Brown Eyed Lady 1977 Jo'burg Louie 1978 RSA Bye Bye Butterfly 1979 EMI Forever Young 1980 Gallo The Electric Thing 1981 Gallo The 124th Cavalry Regiment Lives On 2017 RAM Produced in cooperation with the 124th Cavalry Regiment Association.
See also
Clem Tholet
References