Last week Dire Straits' star Mark Knopfler made headlines for his expectation smashing guitar auction which generated over £8 million, with 25% going to various charity's of the guitarist choosing.

This week, Knopfler is back in the press as he announces a major charity single - a new, special recording of his anthemic ‘Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)’, to raise funds for TeenageCancer Trust and its American equivalent Teen Cancer America.

The track is earmarked for release on March 15 2024, and will feature over 60 rock n'roll legends performing on the tune including Slash, Joan Jett, Eric Clapton, Nile Rodgers, and Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello.

The charity single will open with Jeff Beck's final recording and feature Beatles icon Ringo Starr on drums along with his son Zak Starkey, (the two drum tracks will switch from one to the other), while Sting completes an extraordinary rhythm section on bass.

The film Local Hero was released in 1983 and starred Burt Lancaster. It was Mark Knopfler’s first credit as a film composer for his track 'Going Home' and earned him a BAFTA nomination. The track is played regularly to this day at every Newcastle United game before the team take to the pitch.

Physical formats of the single 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. The single is available for pre-order here.

The full star studded list of guitar gods on Knopfler's upcoming track 'Going Home (Theme from Local Hero)' are as follows:

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.