Guitar Heroes: How Mark Knopfler assembled the world’s biggest supergroup for a charity single

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When Mark Knopfler introduced an all-star cowl of “Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)” – his theme from the 1983 Scottish comedy-drama – many questioned the logistics of pulling off a track with such a venerable ensemble.

Would Joan Jett actually work on the identical observe as Nile Rodgers? Could David Gilmour match into the identical track as Brian May?

The reply is, merely, sure. This just isn’t USA for Africa’s chaotic 1985 studio recording of “We Are the World”, the place a blank-faced Bob Dylan appeared to query his life decisions whereas surrounded by preening rock stars. Nor is it a stay efficiency the place a dozen artistic egos combat for area on the identical stage.

Knopfler’s supergroup, named Guitar Heroes, contains 54 musicians who joined forces to play on “Mark Knopfler’s Going Home: Theme Of The Local Hero”, proceeds from which can increase cash for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Among the stars who contributed to the instrumental observe are Slash, David Gilmour, Joan Armatrading, Sheryl Crow, Ronnie Wood, Joe Bonamassa, and even the late Jeff Beck.

The particular recording additionally consists of The Who frontman Roger Daltrey, honorary patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, on harmonica, The Police singer Sting on bass, and The Beatles’ Ringo Starr on drums.

It is a unprecedented show of technical and inventive brilliance, and of how artists who’ve mastered the guitar are in a position to permeate its sound with their very own persona. Much of the enjoyable of this observe stems from attempting to work out who’s enjoying when, and, as the artists concerned stated in an interview this week, it’s not at all times that straightforward.

“When David Gilmour came in, he played loads of stuff, but there were certain licks that were just absolutely Gilmour,” producer Guy Fletcher, Knopfler’s longtime collaborator and former Dire Straits bandmate, instructed The Times.

“Same with Ronnie Wood, instant Stones. Joan Armatrading played it all the way through, and just wailed. You’d never think it’s Joan.”

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“That first Pete power chord, man,” Knopfler stated. “We were in that territory and it was just fantastic. Eric came in and played great, just one tasty lick after another. What we’ve had is an embarrassment of riches. The whole thing was a high point.”

Artwork for the single was created by Sir Peter Blake, the artist behind the legendary cowl of The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and options a collage of the contributors, plus the Local Hero stars Peter Riegert and Burt Lancaster, in entrance of Hanks, the well-known guitar store on Denmark Street in London.

“What I really want to do, more than anything else, is just to thank each and every one for this sterling response,” Knopfler stated in a assertion asserting the observe earlier this yr.

“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.”

Who performs on the observe?

The full listing of contributors is as follows: Joan Armatrading, Jeff Beck, Richard Bennett, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Brown, James Burton, Jonathan Cain, Paul Carrack, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Jim Cox, SteveCropper, Sheryl Crow, Danny Cummings, Roger Daltrey, Duane Eddy, Sam Fender, Guy Fletcher, Peter Frampton, Audley Freed, Vince Gill, David Gilmour, BuddyGuy, 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.