More than 60 artists have contributed to the single
Legendary guitarist and Grammy Award winner Mark Knopfler has announced a new, special recording of his anthemic “Going Home (Theme From Local Hero),” to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust and its American equivalent Teen Cancer America, due to be released March 15th via BMG.
The recording features over 60 of rock’s finest performers assembled on one iconic track. The supergroup, dubbed Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes, recorded the bulk of the performances at British Grove Studios in West London, and is produced by Knopfler’s longtime collaborator Guy Fletcher, who has edited the contributions into a nine-minute epic.
The all-star lineup features Joan Armatrading, Jeff Beck, Richard Bennett, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Brown, James Burton, Jonathan Cain, Paul Carrack, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Jim Cox, Steve Cropper, Sheryl Crow, Danny Cummings, Roger Daltrey, Duane Eddy, Sam Fender, Guy Fletcher, Peter Frampton, Audley Freed, Vince Gill, David Gilmour, Buddy Guy, Keiji Haino, Tony Iommi, Joan Jett, John Jorgenson, Mark Knopfler, Sonny Landreth, Albert Lee, Greg Leisz, Alex Lifeson, Steve Lukather, Phil Manzanera, Dave Mason, Hank Marvin, Brian May, Robbie McIntosh, John McLaughlin, Tom Morello, Rick Nielsen, Orianthi, Brad Paisley, Nile Rodgers, Mike Rutherford, Joe Satriani, John Sebastian, Connor Selby, Slash, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr and Zak Starkey, Sting, Andy Taylor, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Ian Thomas, Pete Townshend, Keith Urban, Steve Vai, Waddy Wachtel, Joe Louis Walker, Joe Walsh, Ronnie Wood, Glenn Worf, and Zucchero.
“What I really want to do, more than anything else, is just to thank each and everyone for this sterling response,” Knopfler says. “Before I knew where I was, Pete Townshend had come into my studio armed with a guitar and an amp. And that first Pete power chord…man, I tell you. We were in that territory, and it was just fantastic. And it went on from there. Eric [Clapton] came in, played great, just one tasty lick after another. Then Jeff Beck’s contribution arrived and that was spellbinding. I think what we’ve had is an embarrassment of riches, really. The whole thing was a high point.”
The recording features the last-ever studio performance by guitar virtuoso Jeck Beck, who died in January 2023 at age 78. The single artwork is designed by Sir Peter Blake, the legendary artist behind The Beatles iconic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band cover art.
A minimum of 50 percent of net proceeds received by BMG will be donated to Teenage Cancer Trust.
The film Local Hero was released in 1983 and starred Burt Lancaster. It was Mark Knopfler’s first credit as a film composer and earned him a BAFTA nomination. The track is played at every Newcastle United game before the team takes the pitch. In support of the initiative, a guitar from Mark Knopfler’s collection is due to be auctioned off at a private donor event in Newcastle on the evening of March 1st with all proceeds donated to Teenage Cancer Trust.
In addition to the donation of proceeds from the new recording, an Ionic Original Disc of the master recording has been privately sold by NeoFidelity Recordings in advance of the single’s release, enabling that company to make a six-figure donation to the charity.
