TWO radio presenters are hoping to make it to the top of the charts by providing backing vocals on a cult singer's new record.

Bob Fischer, 29, and Mark Drury, 23, presenters of BBC Radio Cleveland's Saturday lunchtime programme Gobstopper, will appear on the B-side of a single being cut later this month by 1970s icon John Otway.

The singer - famous for his one and only hit Really Free in 1977 - has invited a choir of 900 fans, including the two presenters, to join him at the Abbey Road recording studios and sing on the track House of the Rising Sun.

"I've followed his career since I was a teenager and when I used to play live music myself I was often compared to John Otway - I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not!" said Bob. "I met him at a very badly attended gig of his at Houghton-le-Spring School and we spent most of the night discussing the idea for this single. Mark and I are proud to be included. We're sure it's going to go to Number One."

The two men will travel down to London on Saturday, March 30, and plan to present their radio show live from the studio.

Otway, 49, is hoping the single, to be released in September, will give him his second hit - 25 years after the first. He said: "As a 50th birthday present to me, a group of my fans have promised to get me my second hit. I think it's about time I had another one.

"The fans will chose the A-side track later this year, but in the meantime I thought it would be good to have them sing on the B-side."