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Hub AI
The Ladybirds AI simulator
(@The Ladybirds_simulator)
Hub AI
The Ladybirds AI simulator
(@The Ladybirds_simulator)
The Ladybirds
The Ladybirds were a British female vocal harmony trio, most famous for their appearances on The Benny Hill Show. They participated in over 60 episodes between 1968 and 1991. In addition, 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 Vernons Girls disbanded at the start of the 1960s, but a smaller unit carried on, headed by Maureen Kennedy. Most of the other members performed as duos and singing trios. Amongst them were the Redmond Twins, the Breakaways, the Pearls, the DeLaine Sisters, and the longest surviving and best known, the Ladybirds.
Founding member Margaret Elizabeth "Maggie" Stredder and Jean Ryder, billed as the Two Tones, appeared at United States Air Force bases in Germany, before returning to the UK to join Max Bygraves on stage. In 1962, following an appearance on the Val Doonican TV Special, Marian Davies had replaced Ryder, plus Gloria George was added, and The Ladybirds were born.
After signing to Decca Records in August 1965, Marc Bolan recorded his debut single. The Ladybirds sang backing vocals, while apart from Bolan's vocals, all other music was created by studio session musicians. "The Wizard" was released on 19 November 1965.
In 1966, the Ladybirds were recruited to provide vocal backing on BBC Television's Top of the Pops programme. (They continued in this role until 10 August 1978, when they were replaced a week later by the Maggie Stredder Singers.) They also appeared on a number of Twiggy's television shows. Also in 1966, they were backing singers on the Mood Mosaic track "A Touch of Velvet – A Sting of Brass" – later to become Radio Caroline disc jockey Dave Lee Travis' (DLT) signature tune.
The Ladybirds sang backing vocals on Sandie Shaw's 1967 British number one hit "Puppet on a String", joining Shaw for live performances in Vienna, Austria, when the song won the Eurovision Song Contest, as well as on records by Rolf Harris, Des O'Connor and many other artists.
In 1969, when Benny Hill joined Thames Television, he recruited them to The Benny Hill Show. The Ladybirds' first number was "Goin' Out of My Head". In 1971, Hill did a spoof of Top of the Pops, titled "Top of the Tops", but unusually, the Ladybirds were not on that programme. Instead, one of the musical guests, Petticoat & Vine, appeared in the sketch. The Ladybirds' later Broadway medley was unique in that each member sang independently, i.e. Stredder ("Don't Bring Lulu"), George ("I Won't Dance"), and Davies ("I Wanna Be Loved by You"). After that point, George left the trio.
On the May 1973 album release Rigor Mortis Sets In by John Entwistle, the Ladybirds were credited as the backing vocalists.
The Ladybirds
The Ladybirds were a British female vocal harmony trio, most famous for their appearances on The Benny Hill Show. They participated in over 60 episodes between 1968 and 1991. In addition, 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 Vernons Girls disbanded at the start of the 1960s, but a smaller unit carried on, headed by Maureen Kennedy. Most of the other members performed as duos and singing trios. Amongst them were the Redmond Twins, the Breakaways, the Pearls, the DeLaine Sisters, and the longest surviving and best known, the Ladybirds.
Founding member Margaret Elizabeth "Maggie" Stredder and Jean Ryder, billed as the Two Tones, appeared at United States Air Force bases in Germany, before returning to the UK to join Max Bygraves on stage. In 1962, following an appearance on the Val Doonican TV Special, Marian Davies had replaced Ryder, plus Gloria George was added, and The Ladybirds were born.
After signing to Decca Records in August 1965, Marc Bolan recorded his debut single. The Ladybirds sang backing vocals, while apart from Bolan's vocals, all other music was created by studio session musicians. "The Wizard" was released on 19 November 1965.
In 1966, the Ladybirds were recruited to provide vocal backing on BBC Television's Top of the Pops programme. (They continued in this role until 10 August 1978, when they were replaced a week later by the Maggie Stredder Singers.) They also appeared on a number of Twiggy's television shows. Also in 1966, they were backing singers on the Mood Mosaic track "A Touch of Velvet – A Sting of Brass" – later to become Radio Caroline disc jockey Dave Lee Travis' (DLT) signature tune.
The Ladybirds sang backing vocals on Sandie Shaw's 1967 British number one hit "Puppet on a String", joining Shaw for live performances in Vienna, Austria, when the song won the Eurovision Song Contest, as well as on records by Rolf Harris, Des O'Connor and many other artists.
In 1969, when Benny Hill joined Thames Television, he recruited them to The Benny Hill Show. The Ladybirds' first number was "Goin' Out of My Head". In 1971, Hill did a spoof of Top of the Pops, titled "Top of the Tops", but unusually, the Ladybirds were not on that programme. Instead, one of the musical guests, Petticoat & Vine, appeared in the sketch. The Ladybirds' later Broadway medley was unique in that each member sang independently, i.e. Stredder ("Don't Bring Lulu"), George ("I Won't Dance"), and Davies ("I Wanna Be Loved by You"). After that point, George left the trio.
On the May 1973 album release Rigor Mortis Sets In by John Entwistle, the Ladybirds were credited as the backing vocalists.