This single was made to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust and Knopfler put together a stellar crowd of international guitarists for the re-recording of Knopfler’s “Going Home (Theme from Local Hero)”. Knopfler named them Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes and features a line-up of some of the greatest guitarists and musicians in history[1]. The track was recorded was recorded in late 2023 and early 2024 at British Grove Studios in West London with additions from the various contributors recorded in their own studios. The recording, produced by Knopfler’s long-time musical partner Guy Fletcher, was condensed to the nine minute track on the record. The guitar intro, played by Jeff Beck, turned out to be his final recording before his death on 10th January 2023.

I haven’t been able to find out how Blake became involved in this project but given the charity connection and Roger Daltrey’s and Pete Townshend’s involvement I would hazard a guess that Pete suggested that Blake provide the cover art.

Roger Daltrey has been an Honorary Patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, founded by Dr Adrian Whiteson and his wife, Myrna. Daltrey has organised concerts in support of the trust and this charity single was released in aid of the trust and Teen Cancer America. I don’t know how Mark Knopfler became involved in the trust, but he decided to re-record his hit from the 1983 film “Local Hero” with a galaxy of guitar heroes, starting with Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton and Albert Lee, and many others. Daltrey plays harmonica and Ringo Starr, and his son Zak play drums. I got my copy of the U.K. version as soon as it was released

I had no idea that Peter Blake had designed two cover variations. The one for the U.K. and European release shows a collage of the guitarists in front of Hanks Music Store (located in London’s Denmark Street) while the cover version released in the U.S. shows the same guitarist collage but in front of Rudy’s Music Store in SOHO, New York. Interestingly, the US version has a circular “Who cares” sticker in the left upper window that doesn’t appear on the UK version. I only found out about the U.S. version eighteen months after it had been released and it’s now quite hard to find..

Both the U.K. and U.S. singles were single-sided with an etched B-side and both versions were manufactured in the Czech Republic.

[1] The complete list of all 66 participants in the “Going Home” recording:
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