Officially out know is the all-star version of Mark Knopfler's "Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)," which is raising money for the U.K.'s Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America, both co-founded by the Who's Roger Daltrey, and the latter with bandmate Pete Townshend. The nearly 10-minute rendition includes contributions from a who's-who of guitarists and vocalists, including Townshend, Eric Clapton, Queen's Brian May, Bruce Springsteen, Nile Rodgers, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, Joan Jett, Joe Walsh, Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi and many more. Daltrey contributed harmonica while Ringo Starr and his son Zak Starkey both played drums and Sting joined on bass. Artwork was designed by Sir Peter Blake, known for his iconic work with the Beatles, the Who, Band Aid and more. Former Dire Straits keyboardist and continuing Knopfler associate Guy Fletcher produced the track, which has been in the works for more than a year.
Knopfler tells us that the process was as epic in reality as it appears on paper:
"Jeff Beck had recorded something at his place which was so beautiful, and really everybody was playing great and I thought, 'This is fantastic!' Then it was David, yeah, David Gilmour came over. Everybody was playing great. So I was really knocked out, and then all the stuff was coming on from America, Joe Bonamassa, different people, fantastic guitar playing coming in from all sides and I said to Guy, I remember saying to Guy, 'How are we gonna deal with all this? I came in one day and Bruce Springsteen was, Bruce was all over it, y'know, had been at it, and it was fantastic, really, really great." SOUNDCUE :1:00
Beck's contribution, in fact, is thought to be the last thing he recorded before his death in January of 2023, and Knopfler says he's honored it's included on the recording.
The song is available on all streaming services and has been released physically on CD.
Knopfler, meanwhile, releases a new album, "One Deep River," on April 12.
