Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler has assembled a hall of fame’s worth of legendary guitarists for a new version of his song “Going Home (Theme of the Local Hero)” for charity. Available now, the “We Are The World”-style single from the ensemble dubbed Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes benefits the Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.
The re-recording of Knopfler’s 1983 solo instrumental features a who’s who of rock n’ roll royalty including David Gilmour, Slash, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Bruce Springsteen, Buddy Guy, Peter Frampton, Brian May, Nile Rodgers, Joan Jett, Tony Iommi, Tom Morello, Alex Lifeson, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Cropper, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, and many, many more. The song also includes the final recording made by guitar hero Jeff Beck before he passed away in January 2023. And it’s not just venerated guitar-slingers on the recording, with Ringo Starr on drums, Sting on bass, and Roger Daltrey on harmonica, plus former Dire Straits keyboardist Guy Fletcher producing.
“I really had no idea that it was going to be like this,” Knopfler said. “It hit Guy and I quite early on that we had to extend this piece somehow, to take in the number of people who joined in. 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.”
Related: Watch Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, & Sting Play “Money For Nothing” In 1997
The soaring instrumental is the stuff guitar dreams are made of, with some of the world’s best players trading leads and runs. The single is available here in a variety of formats. The original 1983 recording marked Knopfler’s first solo single and appeared in the Scottish dramedy Local Hero that same year. The song went on to become a career staple for the guitarist and is also played before every Newcastle United F.C. soccer game.
Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes – “Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)”
Contributors:
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, Zucchero.