The Ladybirds

British female vocal harmony trio. They were long-standing backing singers to many established artists, and perennial television performers. The Ladybirds had their origins in an earlier vocal group, The Vernons Girls. The original group disbanded at the start of the 1960s, but a smaller unit carried on, headed by Maureen Kennedy. Most of the other members performed as duets and singing trios, including 'The Redmond Twins', 'The Breakaways', 'The Pearls', 'The DeLaine Sisters', and the longest surviving and best known was The Ladybirds. The group started with founding members Maggie Stredder and Jean Ryder touring under the name 'The Two Tones'. By 1962, after appearing on the Val Doonican TV Special, Marian Davies had replaced Ryder and Gloria George was added, and The Ladybirds was born. In August 1965, Marc Bolan recorded his debut single, "The Wizard", and The Ladybirds sang backing vocals on the track. In 1966, The Ladybirds were recruited to provide vocal backing on BBC Television's Top of the Pops programme, continuing until August 1978, when they were replaced a week later by The Maggie Stredder Singers. The same year they sang backing vocals on the Mood Mosaic track "A Touch of Velvet - A Sting of Brass" – later to become Radio Caroline disc jockey Dave Lee Travis' signature tune. They also sang backing vocals for Sandie Shaw's hit single "Puppet on a String". The group appeared in 60 episodes of the Benny Hill Show from 1968 to 1991. Throughout the 1970s, the group provided backing vocals for such artists as John Entwistle, Olivia Newton-John, and Max Bygraves and appeared on many light entertainment shows on UK television, including The Les Dawson Show, The Two Ronnies, Morecambe and Wise, Tommy Cooper, Little and Large, Glen Campbell, Shirley Bassey, Paul Daniels, The Generation Game and Children in Need. The Ladybirds regrouped in 2005 to sing on Mark Wirtz's Ear Theatre album "Love is Eggshaped: The Soundtrack". The track "Withdrawal" had vocals by The Ladybirds (by this time comprising Stredder, Kay Garner and Vicki Robinson).