Mr. Paljas

Tracklist

A1	Daeraad (Daybreak)
A2	Paljas
A3	Stick Around
A4	Sophia
A5	To The Boats
A6	More Fish In The Sea
A7	One Bright Day
A8	Fish Galore
B1	Overture To Act II
B2	Lighthouse In The Sky
B3	Ghoema Song
B4	Unpredictable
B5	Goodbye Paljas
B6	When You're At Sea
B7	Rock Lobster
B8	Sing Tomorrow

Companies, etc.

• Recorded At – Manley van Niekerk Studios, Cape Town
• Printed By – Record Pac

Credits

• Alto Saxophone – Dudu Pukwana, Nick Peterson
• Arranged By, Directed By, Music By – Stanley Glasser
• Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet – Cornelius Kumalo
• Bass – Joe Mal
• Design – David Marais
• Drums – Columbus Joya*
• Leader, Piano – Chris McGregor
• Lyrics By – Beryl Bloom
• Trombone – Blyth Mbityana*
• Trumpet – Dennis Mpali*

Notes

"The time: not so long ago - and, on a chill dawn somewhere on the Cape coast, fishermen sadly sing Daeraad as they trek their poorly-filled nets.

Paljas a bergie in search of warmth and shelter for the coming winter, passes by on his way to Abraham's Bay - a fishing village that has fallen on bad times. The catches have been poor and the fishing company is pulling out. With Paljas is an out-of-work fisherman, Fernando, whom Paljas threatens to "trade in" at Abraham's Bay - once he has beguiled the villagers with his tricks into allowing them to stay. Fernando doesn't think much of the place but is persuaded by Tina, daughter of the village teacher, to Stick Around. Paljas sets to work to charm everyone. He overcomes the doubts of Cookie by telling him to forget the bad times and carry on with his plans to marry Sophia.

The fishing company pulls out, its lorries loaded with machinery but, as Paljas points out, they forget the boats - which ought to be "borrowed" and not left to bang against the jetty and grow rusty; and so - To the Boats! which have been newly painted to outsmart the fish. With the fishermen away the lonely wives, in a flight of mischievous fancy, decide that there are More Fish in the Sea. During this time school discipline has become a shambles, but Mr. Paljas teaches the kids that things will change One Bright Day.

Then to everyone's surprise the boats come back loaded deck and hold with a miraculous catch of Fish Galore!

Abraham's Bay, now bright and prosperous, is visited by three tramps and, with everyone busy catching and selling fish, this "ragged bunch of muffins" are appointed to the Village Management Board. Their first project is to build a Lighthouse in the Sky. They start making numerous blueprints, imposing taxes, and generally growing too big for their tattered boots. They break up the old-style picnic where everyone is singing the Ghoema in celebration of the birthday of Martha. She is everyone's confidante and helper in the village and also the object of the Teacher's marathon courtship. When he produces his own blueprint he and Martha are surprised to find that love is Unpredictable.

The three tramps meanwhile have made the lives of the villagers miserable with permits, taxes, rules and regulations. A revolt against the tramps is cleverly turned against Paljas - so the angry crowd throws him out - and it's Goodbye Paljas.

Fernando however is making headway with Tina, the loskop flirt of the village, and she admits: "I miss you so - When you're at sea". The tramps happily conduct an auction of Rock Lobster but their sweet days as spongers on the fisherfolk are numbered. A mysterious "official" fools everyone for the last time and restores their fortunes to the happy villagers who Sing Tomorrow.

Mr. Paljas leaves Abraham's Bay having traded in Fernando for Kriekie, the waif who sleeps wherever there happens to be a nice cooking smell."