Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler is to release a new charity single, which will feature as many as 60 music legends.
Arriving on March 15, the song will include contributors Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Peter Frampton, Tony Iommi, Joan Jett, Brian May, Steve Cropper, Bruce Springsteen, Slash, Ronnie Wood, Sting, Joe Walsh and more.
The single is a recording of Knopfler’s 1983 hit, ‘Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)’, and is available for pre-ordering on CD, vinyl, and digital form.
“sterling response”
In a press release, Mark Knopfler said that he was overwhelmed by the support he has received in the making of this charity collaboration.
“What I really want to do, more than anything else, is just to thank each and every one for this sterling response,” Knopfler said. “I really had no idea that it was going to be like this. It hit [producer] Guy [Fletcher] and I quite early on that we had to extend this piece somehow, to take in the number of people who joined in”.
What is also noteworthy about this track, is that it also featured the final recording made by musician Jeff Beck, before his death in January 2023.
“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,” Knopfler explained.
He also added, “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’’e had is an embarrassment of riches, really. The whole thing was a high point”.
You can check out a snippet of this charity single below.
Last week, a set of guitars which were also owned by Mark Knopfler, sold for over £8 million at a recent auction in London, with proceeds also going towards various charities including, Red Cross, children’s non-profit Brave Hearts of the North East, and wildlife advocates Tusk.
