Sing Along with Sunshine

1 9 7 8  (UK)
6 x 30 minute episodes
1 9 8 0 (UK)
7 x 30 minute episodes

This Light Entertainment series from BBC Scotland was based around performances by the Inverness-based singing and dancing group Sunshine. The songs were grouped around themed medleys with five or six different themes within each show.

There were also one or two instrumental numbers each week performed by the house band of Peggy O’Keefe, David Pringle, and Bernard Sumner.

The group Sunshine was formed by David Balfe (aka Rod McQueen) by accident in 1976. Balfe had written three songs and entered them for the Song for Europe contest to find Britain’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, using the fictitious name “Sunshine”. When one of his songs (Maria) made the finals, he had to construct a five-piece vocal group in six weeks.

Balfe found two friends from the north of Scotland to join (Drew Ross and Alasdair ‘Beenz’ MacBean), but no girls. He finally had to hire two session singers from London.

Balfe himself completed the line-up, and the group had their first rehearsal together the day before the live televised concert from the Royal Albert Hall in London.

One month later, Balfe had a call from the BBC asking Sunshine to guest on Rod Stewart‘s show. Balfe had to reform the group again – this time with local girls Louise Kelly (later superseded by Sandy Rogers) and Alyson McInnes.

The group was subsequently given its own weekly show on Radio Scotland in 1977, before moving to television in 1978, with their show recorded in Studio A, Glasgow.

Guest singers on the TV show included disc jockeys Keith Chegwin, Tony Blackburn, Tom Ferrie, Peter Powell, and David Hamilton, as well as songwriters Kristine, Guy Fletcher, Roger Greenaway, and Steve Glenn.

David Balfe died in November 2019, aged 74. Amongst his most successful compositions are Blue is the Colour (recorded by the Chelsea football team in 1972), Beautiful Sunday (recorded by Daniel Boone in 1972), and Did You Boogie with Your Baby (In the Back Row of the Movie Show), which was recorded by Flash Cadillac & The Continental Kids in 1976.