Mark Knopfler assembles over 60 rock legends for 'Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)' remake
It features over 60 performers
Last updated 8th Feb 2024
Dire Straits legend Mark Knopfler has drafted in over 60 iconic musicians from the rock world and beyond for a charity remake of his seminal 1983 instrumental track ‘Going Home (Theme From Local Hero).’
Released on Friday 15th March 2024 under the moniker of Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes, the newly-expanded nine-minute instrumental epic was produced by Guy Fletcher, and it boasts an unprecedented line-up of some of the greatest guitarists in history – including, of course, Knopfler himself.
Proceeds from the track will be donated to Teenage Cancer Trust and its American equivalent Teen Cancer America.
Poignantly, the track opens with Jeff Beck’s final recording before his untimely death in January 2023.
Following Beck’s intro, ‘Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)’ features guitarists including Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, The Who’s Pete Townshend, Queen’s Brian May, Peter Frampton and Rush’s Alex Lifeson.
Also among the plethora of performers are Orianthi, Joan Jett, Nile Rodgers, Sam Fender, Joe Bonamassa, Toto’s Steve Lukather, Bruce Springsteen, Joe Satriani, Genesis’ Mike Rutherford, Eagles’ Joe Walsh, Joan Armatrading, Journey’s Jonathan Cain, and Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera.
Elsewhere, Roger Daltrey, Teenage Cancer Trust’s Honorary Patron and co-founder of Teen Cancer America, plays harmonica, and Beatles icon Ringo Starr is on drums along with his son Zak Starkey. Sting completes the rhythm section on bass.
Fabled pop artist Sir Peter Blake (The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’, The Who’s ‘WHO’ and ‘Face Dances’, Live Aid, Paul Weller’s ‘Stanley Road’) has designed the artwork for ‘Going Home (Theme From Local Hero).’
Mark Knopfler says: “What I really want to do, more than anything else, is just to thank each and every one for this sterling response.
“I really had no idea that it was going to be like this. 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.”
Reflecting on Jeff Beck’s contribution, producer Guy Fletcher adds: “It was absolutely meant to be. And what he did with it, it just brings you to tears.”
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 has been adopted as a Newcastle United anthem and it’s played before every home game at St James’ Park. The track is also played at other football clubs including Tranmere Rovers.
Physical formats of ‘Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)’ will be available on CD, 12” with etched B-side and deluxe CD+BluRay, including sleeve notes by Paul Sexton, and digital formats include a Dolby Atmos mix.
You can pre-order the track HERE.
Last week, Mark Knopfler’s vast 122-strong guitar collection fetched a whopping £8,840,160 under the hammer at Christie’s in London.
Twenty-five percent of the total hammer price was divided equally and donated to charities that Mark Knopfler has supported for many years: the British Red Cross, Tusk and Brave Hearts of the North East.
The Teenage Cancer Trust received all of the £403,200 raised from Knopfler’s 2021 Gibson Les Paul “gold top” guitar – 20 times the lower estimate. The guitar was signed by 33 musicians, many of whom performed on ‘Going Home (Theme From Local Hero).’
The full list of contributors on ‘Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)’:
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.
The 13 most expensive guitars of all time:
20 - Duane Allman’s 1957 Gibson Les Paul
The Goldtop 1957 Gibson Les Paul guitar that the late-great Duane Allman used to record 'Layla' alongside Eric Clapton, sold for $1.25 million (£1.03 million) in August 2019. First purchased by Allman in early 1969, it's the fabled guitar on which he learned and perfected his slide style. It was his primary instrument on the first two Allman Brothers albums, and for the 'Layla' album by Derek & The Dominos.
19 - George Harrison's Futurama electric guitar
George Harrison's heavily played Futurama electric guitar that The Beatles legend bought for £58 in 1959 - £1,146 in today's money - sold at Julien's Auctions in Nashville, Tennessee for $1.27million (£1.03 million) on 20th November 2024. Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien's Auctions, said: "George Harrison's iconic Futurama guitar, one of the most important guitars in rock and roll history and formative to The Beatles' sound, has made history at today's auction. We're beyond thrilled to add this Harrison guitar to the Julien's Auctions' million-dollar club, which already includes guitars from John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Kurt Cobain."
18 - Jeff beck's 1954 ‘Oxblood’ Gibson Les Paul
Jeff Beck's legendary 1954 'Oxblood' Gibson Les Paul sold for £1,068,500 ($1,315,708)at the Jeff Beck: The Guitar Collection sale at Christie's in London on 22nd January 2025. It set the world record as the most expensive Gibson Les Paul sold under the hammer. Not too far behind Oxblood in the sale was Jeff Beck's custom 'Anoushka' Stratocaster that reached £1,008,000 - 50 times its pre-sale estimate of £20,000 to £30,000.
17 - Kurt Cobain's Skystang I guitar
Kurt Cobain's Skystang I guitar he played at his final Nirvana show before his death in 1994 sold for $1,587,500 (£1,271,730) at auction in Nashville in November 2023. Cobain first played his electric Fender Skystang I guitar on 18th October 1993 at the Arizona State Fair Veteran's Memorial Coliseum during the In Utero tour, and he performed with it at his final concert on 1st March 1994 at Terminal 1 in Munich. The guitar bought by Mitsuru Sato who bid via the phone at the Julien's Auctions' sale held at Hard Rock Café, Nashville.
16 - David Gilmour’s 1954 Fender Stratocaster
David Gilmour's 1954 White Fender Stratocaster #0001 used on Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick in the Wall (Parts 2 and 3)' sold for $1,815,000 (£1,493,000) on an estimate of $100,000-150,000 at the David Gilmour Guitar Collection auction at Christie's in New York in June 2019. For a few fleeting hours it was the most expensive Fender ever until another famous David Gilmour guitar kicked it out of the park…
15 – Jerry Garcia‘s Wolf Guitar
Jerry Garcia's famous Wolf Guitar sold at auction for $1.9 million (£1.57 million) in June 2017 in New York. Its buyer was Brian Halligan, Chief Executive of software company HubSpot and a keen Grateful Dead aficionado. Proceeds from the sale of the Wolf guitar went to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a charity specialising in civil rights and public interest litigation. Customized by master luthier Doug Irwin, and labelled "D. Irwin 001", Wolf was delivered to Jerry Garcia 50 years ago and first appeared in public during a 1973 New York City performance the Grateful Dead gave for the Hell's Angels.
14 – Peter Green’s Greeny
Fleetwood Mac legend Peter Green bought 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard for sixty guineas after being asked to join John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers in the mid-60s. He played it on Fleetwood Mac classics including 'The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)' and 'Albatross' before selling it to fellow guitar virtuoso Gary Moore in 1970. Moore played it throughout his solo career and time with Thin Lizzy, however he was forced to sell it in 2006 due to financial difficulties. Guitar dealer Phil Winfield bought it for somewhere between $750,000 and $1.2 million before selling it for $2 million (£1.65 million) to a private collector. Metallica's Kirk Hammett bought Greeny in 2014 for less than $2 million and he still performs with it to this day.
13 – Jimi Hendrix’s 1968 Fender Stratocaster
The white 1968 Fender Stratocaster that Jimi Hendrix famously played at Woodstock in 1969 was purchased by late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for a cool $2 million (£1.65 million) in 2000. Keen guitarist and collector Allen, who passed away in 2018, donated the fabled instrument to the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle where it's still on display today.
12 - George Harrison’s Gibson ‘SG’ Standard guitar
George Harrison's Gibson 'SG' Standard guitar used extensively by The Beatles legend from 1966 to 1968 sold for $2,271,000 (£1.72 million) during The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame auction in March 2026.
11 - David Gilmour’ Martin D-35 guitar
David Gilmour' Martin D-35 guitar used to record Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here' sold for $2,393,000 (£1.8 million) during The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame auction in March 2026.
10 – John Lennon’s Gibson J-160E acoustic-electric guitar
John Lennon's long-lost acoustic Gibson J-160E acoustic-electric guitar, which he used on The Beatles' 'Please Please Me' and 'With the Beatles' albums, fetched $2,410,000 (£1,992,000) at auction in November 2015. The guitar had been owned since 1969 by a man called John McCaw who purchased it from a friend called Tommy Pressley who in turn, two years earlier, had bought it for just $175. McCaw was completely unaware it originally belonged to John Lennon until he stumbled across a photograph of The Beatle performing with it in a 2012 copy of Guitar Aficionado magazine. Realising its importance (and worth), McCaw put it up for auction.
9 - Reach Out to Asia Fender Stratocaster
The Reach out to Asia Fender Stratocaster became the most expensive guitar ever in 2005 when it fetched $2,700,000 (£2,232,000) under the hammer in Qatar. Proceeds went to the charity Reach Out to Asia, which was set up to help victims of the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004. The guitar was signed by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Brian May, Jimmy Page, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend, Mark Knopfler, Ray Davies, Liam Gallagher, Ronnie Wood, Tony Iommi, Angus and Malcolm Young, Paul McCartney, Sting, Ritchie Blackmore, Def Leppard and Bryan Adams.
8 - John Lennon's 'Help!' guitar
A Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar was used by John Lennon on songs such as 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away', and for the album 'Help!' sold for $2.9 million (£2.3 million) under the hammer at Julien's Auctions in New York in May 2024. Believed to be lost for 50 years, it's also the most expensive Beatles instrument ever sold.
7 - Eric Clapton's The Fool guitar
Eric Clapton's iconic guitar The Fool sold for $3 million (£2.26 million) during The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame auction in March 2026.
6 - Eddie Van Halen's 'Hot For Teacher' Kramer
Eddie Van Halen's custom-made Kramer electric guitar that he played in Van Halen's seminal 'Hot for Teacher' sold for a massive $3,932,000 (£3,167,343) under the hammer at Sotheby's in New York in April 2023. One of the most iconic guitars of the MTV era, the stage used and filmed guitar was custom made by Paul Unkert of Kramer Guitars for Eddie Van Halen.
5 - Eric Clapton's "MTV Unplugged" 1939 Martin 000-42
Eric Clapton's 1939 Martin 000-42 he played for his legendary MTV Unplugged performance in 1992 sold for $4.1million (£3.09 million) during The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame auction in March 2026.
4 - Kurt Cobain’s MTV Unplugged Guitar
One year on from the world-record sale of David Gilmour's Black Strat, Kurt Cobain's MTV Unplugged guitar sold for a massive $6,010,000 (£4,960,000) at auction in June 2020 and became the World's Most Expensive Guitar in the process. It retained the title for almost four years when the Black Strat reclaimed its crown. The late-great Nirvana frontman played the 1959 Martin D-18E acoustic-electric guitar for the band's MTV Unplugged set at Sony Music Studios in New York City on 18th November 1993 – just five months before his untimely death aged 27.
3 – Kurt Cobain’s Fender Mustang Guitar
Kurt Cobain's famous Fender Mustang guitar he played in Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video in 1991 became the third most expensive guitar ever sold under the hammer in March 2026. It sold for $6,907,000 (£5.21 million) during The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame auction at Christie's in New York. The 1969 Fender Mustang Competition Lake Placid Blue Finish Electric Guitar previously sold for $4.5 million (£3.7 million) at Julien's Auctions in New York as part of their Music Icons auction in 2022.
2 - Jerry Garcia's Tiger guitar
Grateful Dead legend Jerry Garcia's custom built 1979 electric guitar, known as 'Tiger', sold for $11.56 million (£8.71 million) in March 2026 to become the second most-expensive ever. It was only eclipsed by David Gilmour's Black Strat, which sold for $14.55 million (£11 million) on the same day as part of The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame auction.
1 – David Gilmour’s Black Strat
David Gilmour's fabled guitar, The Black Strat, set the world record for the World's Most Expensive Guitar again in March 2026 when it fetched a massive $14.55 million (£11 million) during The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame auction at Christie's in New York. The figure far exceeds the $3,975,000 it fetched under the hammer at Christie's in London in June 2019, and it was the most expensive guitar of all time for exactly one year. It was eclipsed by the $6,010,000 paid for Kurt Cobain's MTV Unplugged guitar in June 2020 – however that tally has now been more than doubled by the Black Strat.