Harambee – Giving A Little Away - The South African Rock Encyclopedia

The South African Rock Encyclopedia > Rock Legends > 1970s > Kenny Henson > Discography > Harambee – Giving A Little Away

The artist, for this one-off release, is often credited as Kenny Henson’s Harambee or simply Kenny Henson. Sometimes the album title is listed as “Harambee (Giving A Little Away)”. Based on the actual disc, the band is Harambee and the album title is “Giving A Little Away”.

Harambee means “spirit of togetherness”.
Leon Rossouw

Tracks

Side One

Prayer To The Young Moon [3:22] (Traditional / Music: Malherbe)
Overture [3:52] (Arr. Henson)
Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner [3:24] (Lindell / Zevon)
Walk Tall (Don’t Stumble) [3:19] (Henson / MacKay)
a. Midnight In The Jungle (Henson / Pratley)
b. O Fortuna [3:50] (Carl Orff)

Side Two

Orang Outang [7:03] (Ramsay MacKay) see comments below
Elegy [3:16] (Henson / Wolfaardt)
Giving A Little Away [3:43] (Brian Finch)
O Fortuna [2:40] (Carl Orff)
Nkosi Sikelele Afrika [1:54] (T. Matshikiza)

Album concept & music arrangements by Kenny Henson

Engineered by Nino Riviera

Recorded at Videosound Studios, Johannesburg, September – November, 1978

Mixed by Nino Riviera & Kenny Henson, except “Orang Outang” by John Lindemann

Produced by Kenny Henson & Nino Riviera

Musicians

Kenny Henson: Guitars, Bass, Elka, Mini Korg, A.R.P. Odyssey, Marimba, Glockenspiel, Percussion, Vocals (“Walk Tall”, “Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner”)
Colin Pratley: Drums, African Drums, Tympani, Congas, Percussion
Ramsay MacKay: Bass (“Orang Outang”), Vocals (“Walk Tall”)
Rheta–Louise Malherbe: Vocals (“Prayer For The Young Moon”), Piano (“Overture”, “Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner”)
John Oakley-Smith: Piano (“Giving A Little Away”, “Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner”), Organ (“Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner”), Backing Vocals (“Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner”)
George Wolfaardt: Flutes & Bass Guitar solo (“Overture”), Bass Guitar (“Elegy”)
Gabriel Hezekiel Mazibuko: Saxophone (“Orang Outang”)
Ronnie Jones: Pipe Organ of St Albans Cathedral, Pretoria (“O Fortuna”)
Margaret Modisell: Vocals (“Orang Outang”, “Nkosi Sikelele Afrika”)
Rheta Fourie: Vocals (“Giving A Little Away”)
The Pretoria Serenaders Male Vocal Choir: Vocals (“Orang Outang”, “Giving A Little Away”, “O Fortuna”, “Nkosi Sikelele Afrika”)

Release Information

LP: December 1978, Warner Bros. Records, WBC 9008

Comments

“O Fortuna” (part of Carmina Burana) is a classical piece by Carl Orff.

Brian Finch is credited as the composer of the title track “Giving A Little Away”, however he is not listed as a contributing musician on this album.

Orang Outang

Information

“Orang Outang” (sometimes styled as “Orang-Outang”, “Orangoutang”, “Orang Otang” and “Ourang-Outang”) was written by Ramsay MacKay and originally recorded in 1971 by Freedom’s Children with Malombo Jazz Makers, but only released in 2020.

“Orang Outang” was first released as a single by Hawk in 1972. It has been recorded by Margaret Singana, Kenny Henson’s Harambee, Finch & Henson, Joy, Brian Finch and others. The version by Finch & Henson on their Recycled album is very similar to the track by Harambee, however Brian Finch’s vocals have replaced the voice of Margaret Modisell.

Ramsay MacKay’s “Orang Outang” is unrelated to two different songs with the same title by Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg (1969) and Bow Wow Wow (1981).
Brian Currin