Entertainment

Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler releasing charity track uniting guitar heroes

The last recording of Jeff Beck, who died in 2023, features on the track.

Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler releases charity track uniting guitar heroes
Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler releases charity track uniting guitar heroes (Owen Humphreys/PA)
By Ellie Iorizzo, PA

A special recording of Mark Knopfler’s Going Home: Theme Of The Local Hero starring “guitar heroes” including Bruce Springsteen, Ronnie Wood and Eric Clapton will be released on Friday.

The former Dire Straits front man was joined by more than 60 renowned performers on the reworked version of the song, in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust and its US equivalent, Teen Cancer America.

Contributions from some of the world’s greatest guitarists, including David Gilmour, Slash, Sir Brian May, Joan Armatrading and Pete Townshend, were edited together for the nine-minute track.

The Who frontman Roger Daltrey, honorary patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, added harmonica and Sir Ringo Starr played the drums along with his son, Zak Starkey, while Sting features on bass.

The track, released on March 15 under the banner of Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes, also includes artwork from Sir Peter Blake who co-created the sleeve design for the Beatles’ 1967 album Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The instrumental track opens with the last recording of guitarist Jeff Beck, who died last year.

The last recording of Jeff Beck, who died in 2023, features on the track
The last recording of Jeff Beck, who died in 2023, features on the track (Yui Mok/PA)

The recordings were edited together by Knopfler’s former Dire Straits bandmate and long-time collaborator Guy Fletcher.

Some musicians recorded in person at British Grove Studios in west London, while others sent in contributions from around the world.

The 1983 film Local Hero, starring Burt Lancaster, was Knopfler’s first credit as a film composer and earned him a Bafta nomination.

The track is played at every Newcastle United home game before the team run out on the pitch.

Going Home (Theme From Local Hero) in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America will be released on March 15 on BMG and is available to pre-order now at markknopfler.lnk.to/guitarheroesTW.