Guitar legend Mark Knopfler today releases 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. Performed by Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes and produced and edited by his longtime collaborator Guy Fletcher, the track, featuring an unprecedented line-up of some of the greatest guitarists in history, can finally be heard.
‘Legendary’ does not begin to cover the line-up of this remarkable supergroup - David Gilmour to Ronnie Wood, Slash to Eric Clapton, Sting to Joan Armatrading, Bruce Springsteen to Pete Townshend, Nile Rodgers to Joan Jett, Brian May to Tony Iommi, Joe Walsh, Sam Fender and many more jaw-dropping names. And, in a great honour, the track opens with Jeff Beck’s final recording.
Roger Daltrey, Teenage Cancer Trust’s Honorary Patron and co-founder of Teen Cancer America (with Pete Townshend), added harmonica, and Beatles icon Ringo Starr is on drums along with his son Zak Starkey, their two drum tracks switching from one to the other, revealing an unmistakable family style. Sting completes an extraordinary rhythm section on bass.
Next week a video will be released identifying each performer across the piece. For now, fans can take their educated guesses by listening out for each distinctive style on this extraordinary record.
On March 2nd, Mark Knopfler previewed the track to 50,000 Newcastle United fans at St James Park before their Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The song is the club anthem, played at every home game and precious to the fans; to see what the song means to the players, just watch the response on their Instagram Reel.
Physical formats of the single were available on CD, 12” with etched b-side and deluxe CD & Blu-ray, including sleeve notes by Paul Sexton. All physical formats apart from Standard CD are now sold out on the Mark Knopfler Guitar Heroes Official Store.
The track is available as a Digital Download and CD Single, out now. A minimum of 50% of net proceeds received by BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited from the sale of this recording (with a minimum of £1 per CD single solely embodying the recording sold in the UK and a minimum of 25p per download of the recording sold in the UK) will be given to Teenage Cancer Trust (registered charity in England and Wales under charity no. 1062559) which shall be shared equally with Teen Cancer America (501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization tax id 46-0825676).