Instant Sunshine


Instant Sunshine is a comedy musical cabaret group who sing to an acoustic guitar accompaniment. It was formed in 1966 by three doctors at St. Thomas' Hospital in London, Peter Christie, David Barlow and Alan Maryon-Davis. In 1972 they were joined by the journalist and double bass player Miles Kington. In 1998 Kington left the group and Tom Barlow joined in his place for several years.
Peter Christie is the leading spirit and writes the words and music. Their style has been compared to Flanders and Swann. The lyrics typically have an element of surreal fantasy, while the tunes are usually wistful and mock-sentimental. Their act contains an abundance of comic "business" and sound effects, usually provided by Alan Maryon-Davis. They perform at music festivals or in cabaret at private bookings, and have played alternate years at the Edinburgh Fringe since 1975. The group have also performed many songs for radio and television programmes, being particularly known for their regular contribution to BBC Radio 4's Stop The Week over a period of about ten years. They provided the theme song for the BBC television version of Stephen Potter's Oneupmanship, had three series of their own on Radio 4 and a book "The Instant Sunshine Book - with hints for struggling supergroups".
They produced five vinyl LPs: "Live at Tiddy Dols", "Instant Sunshine", "Funny Name for a Band" "Reasonably Together Again" and "The Instant Sunshine LP - Songs for struggling supergroups". There are currently seven CDs in print, "Instant Sunshine Comes of Age", "Jubilee", "Live at the Old Vic", "50 Not Out" and remixed versions of the EMI recordings "Instant Sunshine", "Funny Name for a Band" and "Reasonably Together Again". The recordings are currently occasionally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra and are available via the BBC iPlayer.

Song titles

Instant Sunshine (1976)

  1. Worms
  2. No News Today
  3. When I was in Bombay
  4. Metamorphosis
  5. Ten-gallon Hat
  6. Corduroy Trousers
  7. Spanish Holiday
  8. Top Dogs
  9. I Wish I Was a Sassenach
  10. Some Dancing
  11. Don't Tell the Abbot
  12. The Monster
  13. Habeas Corpse
  14. Herts is Trumps
  15. Mrs Brown
  16. Doctors
  17. Fleeting Time

    Funny Name for a Band (1977)

  18. Sunshine
  19. Nouveau Poor
  20. The Blues
  21. Kiddies' Olympics
  22. Bar-stool Sailing
  23. Flooding
  24. Methylated
  25. The Canary Song
  26. Bird Seed
  27. Hurdey Gurdey
  28. Now I'm Adolescent
  29. Here We Go Again
  30. Poor Guy
  31. Tittle-tattle Rag
  32. Talking Plants
  33. Who Mowed the Lawns of Eden
  34. The Demon in the Drink
  35. Sunshine

    Reasonably Together Again (1979)

  36. Heathrow Holiday
  37. A Very Tropical Subject
  38. Tadpoles
  39. On the Fringe
  40. Kids on the Corner
  41. My Lawn
  42. Danish Bacon Baby
  43. Boring Song
  44. A Little Bit of Burgling on the Side
  45. Ruthless Roues
  46. Beefcake
  47. Rabbikang
  48. Lily Gilding
  49. Allotment
  50. Don't Eat a Turkey this Christmas
  51. Our Show is Live

    Instant Sunshine Comes of Age (1987)

  52. The Parish Magazine
  53. A Memorable Meal
  54. Smooth Train Blues
  55. Yodelling Neurosis
  56. My Garden Shed
  57. My Dog Has Fleas
  58. Every Body needs a Body
  59. Wish You Were Here
  60. Spring Collection
  61. Has Anyone Seen My Horse
  62. At the Launderette
  63. Scat Like That
  64. Foreign Relations
  65. Conservation Conversation
  66. Who Mowed the Lawns of Eden?
  67. Never be Tempted by Water
  68. Go Plastic
  69. Platform Three
  70. Sorry
  71. Los Peckham Ryos

    Jubilee (1992)

  72. A Bouquet of Roes
  73. Whitehall Farce
  74. What is a Thingummy-jig
  75. Middlesex Man
  76. Pick up the Phone
  77. Eating Food is Wrong
  78. Specs Appeal
  79. If I Keep on Whistling
  80. Shiny Leather Chair
  81. Who Dunnit
  82. Ideal Home
  83. Cucumber Sandwiches
  84. Birds and Bees
  85. Holiday Survival
  86. Westminster Pier to Greenwich
  87. It Happened in the Park
  88. Equal Animal Rights
  89. Alas Poor Hamlet
  90. Mini Mozart
  91. Listen to the Summer
  92. Fleeting Time

    Live at the Old Vic (2002)

  93. Sunshine
  94. Birdseed
  95. Platform Three
  96. Knitting for Victory
  97. Herts is Trumps
  98. Smooth Train Blues
  99. The Euro
  100. The Demon in the Drink
  101. Our Show is Live
  102. Lots in the Attic
  103. Lugubrious Lobster
  104. Who Mowed the Lawns of Eden
  105. My Horse and I
  106. Corduroy Trousers
  107. Kiddies Olympics
  108. Conservation Conversation

    50 Not Out (2017)

  109. Knitting for Victory
  110. Dear Diary
  111. My Caddy Said
  112. Toy Sympathy
  113. Very Tiny Brain
  114. Weather is Never Quite Right
  115. Awfully Keen on the Arts
  116. I Wonder What It's Like To Be a Star
  117. Old Times Back
  118. Peace of Mind
  119. Squidger
  120. Aunt Agatha's Hat
  121. Man From Pollock
  122. Christmas Greetings
  123. Lots In The Attic
  124. Incurable Romantic
  125. Gondoliers.

    Others including