Everything about the creation of the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, I love. From the website comes a story I already knew.
George Harrison was asked by the folks at Warner Brothers Records to put together a non-album B-side for a single from the ex-Beatles’ album Cloud Nine.
Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison had shared dinner, then went to Bob Dylan’s home studio in Malibu, California. George had left a guitar at Tom Petty’s house, and when he went to retrieve it, he invited Petty to join in the fun.
Harrison played the resulting track, Handle with Care, to the WB brass, who thought the song was too good to bury on the flip side of George’s single. Maybe it could become part of an album?
The five frontmen took on the persona of the Traveling Wilburys from this: “Referring to recording errors created by some faulty equipment, Harrison jokingly remarked to Lynne, ‘We’ll bury ’em in the mix’ Thereafter, they used the term for any small error in performance… Harrison suggested ‘The Trembling Wilburys’ as the group’s name; instead, Lynne suggested ‘Traveling’, with which the group agreed.”
The album was very well received and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group in 1989. Unfortunately, “Roy Orbison died of a heart attack on December 6, 1988… Despite Orbison’s death, the remaining group members recorded a second and final studio album, which they intentionally misnumbered Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3. It was released on October 30, 1990, and met with less success than the previous one.”
I had thought Volume 3 was a function of all the collaborations among them, but it was an acknowledgment of bootlegs of the original sessions featuring songs not on that first album.
The group talked about touring, but it never happened. I had heard rumors of Del Shannon replacing Orbison, but he died on February 8, 1990.
The two albums were out of print for about a decade, until they were re-released, with added tracks, in 2007, including Nobody’s Child, the title track for a benefit album. “The project was organized by Olivia Harrison, who created the Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation with the other wives of The Beatles (Barbara Bach, Yoko Ono and Linda McCartney) in April 1990.”
The singles
1988 “Handle with Care” (US 45, AUS 3, NZ 4, UK 21)
1989 “End of the Line” (US 63, AUS 12, NZ 11, UK 52)
1990 “Nobody’s Child” (NZ 9, UK 44)
1990 “She’s My Baby” (AUS 45, CAN 30, UK 79)
1991 “Wilbury Twist” (CAN 86)
You can find Nobody’s Child HERE. The remaining songs above, plus Inside Out, you can listen to HERE, and Margarita HERE.
For good measure, I Call Your Name – Ringo Starr, backed by Harrison, Lynne, Petty, and Traveling Wilburys drummer Jim Keltner on cowbell.
Thats a nice and informative post…. i did not know anything about this 😉
Thats life, beeing able to learn, every moment of ones life, isn’t it.
Take care, first things first!
Have a nice abcwednes-day / – week
♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc-w-team)
( http://melodymusic.nl/abc-wednesday-18-t/ )
Their first album remains an all-time favorite for me. I remember watching a VH1 special about it when Vol. 1 first came out, and Tom Petty telling the story about how everyone was terrified that Jeff Lynne would suggest Roy Orbison try out their lyrics instead because he had the best voice and they were worried about being shown up or having the vocals given to him instead; “Come on, can’t you wait until I go to dinner?”
I’ve just been listening to the Travelling Wilberrys and what lovely memories they bring back. They didn’t really take off in the UK but what a bunch of talent, sad that Roy Orbison and George Harrison are no longer with us.
Thanks for this Roger I have sat and listened to them for an hour…wonderful stuff !
Best wishes,
Di,
ABCW team
I have to admit I knew nothing about this “group” or any of the history.
Thanks for sharing and educating me!
I’ve never heard of this band
But only the artists, I’ve heard off 😉
Have a nice day
Wonderful post for T and group sounds delightful ~ I loved the Beatles music ~ so classically based ~ thanks for info ~
Happy Week to you ~ ^_^
This is a group I’ve never heard of but like Vonnieb I’ve heard the names of the artists for sure.
This was fascinating as I had always wondered how they all got together in the first place. Such a mismatched group of musicians really but turned out great stuff. Loved Roy Orbison, so many of the good ones are gone now. George Harrison must have been an interesting character, from all the stories I heard.
Oh that was great Roger, – new group to me (as many are that you recommend) but loved the first and last pieces.
Love the Wilburys – thanks for this.
Another informative post. Good one on T.
Happy ABCW!
I love the random way they got together. Great listen.
Love Roy Orbison.
Some of my favorite music icons!!!!!!! Roy Orbison topping the list for me.
Ann
Very lovely tracks.
You are quite a storehouse of such information!