CiN bandages Emma with the stars

By Will Walder
BBC Wiltshire

Emma is on the new Children in Need album

It is not often that you can credit Sir Terry Wogan with helping to inspire a choice of headwear or song.

When Emma Payn was chosen to sing on the new BBC Children In Need album, that is exactly what happened.

She went to Abbey Road and met a whole host of stars from bands like Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones.

While she was there, she saw something that prompted her to write a song about hats, capes and rabbits in just ten minutes on BBC Wiltshire Introducing.

As one of the many jewels in Swindon's singer/songwriter crown, it comes as no surprise that Emma Payn has been heralded by the likes of Tom Robinson on his BBC 6 Music Introducing Show, and across the south of England.

I could discuss what she was wearing and you'd think she was absolutely crackers Emma Payn

It did come as a bit of a surprise to some though when Emma was plucked from relative obscurity to perform with the likes of Sir Terry Wogan, Nick Mason, Bill Wyman, Roger Taylor, Cerys Matthews, Paloma Faith and rather oddly, Adrian Edmondson.

Emma was invited down to Abbey Road by the producer Adrian Chivers after he had stumbled upon her MySpace site and liked what he heard.

Hats and capes.

It wasn't the world famous studios or host of celebrities which made the biggest impression on Emma though, it was the dress sense of the singer and actress Paloma Faith.

"You've probably never seen a more crazy person in your life," said Emma, going on to describe Paloma's cape made from sequins, and a hat so small that even a rabbit would struggle to put it on.

It made such an impression on Emma that she even wrote a song about it during her appearance on BBC Wiltshire Introducing, hastily writing the lyrics on an email receipt from Center Parcs.

It is called 'I Have A Hat' and although it's not that bad, it might not make it to the final cut for the official Children In Need album out next month.