The Traveling Wilburys were a supergroup created by George Harrison and Jeff Lynne. Initially an informal grouping with Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, they got together at Bob Dylan's Santa Monica, California studio to quickly record an additional track as a B-side for the single release of Harrison's "When We Was Fab". The song they came up with was "Handle With Care" - which the record company immediately realised was too good to be released as a single "filler".
They enjoyed working together so much that they decided to create an album together. Written by all its members, the song-writing and recording was accomplished by this group of musical legends over a ten day period, (as Dylan was due to go out on tour). Released in October 1988, under various pseudonyms as half-brothers, supposed sons of Charles Truscott Wilbury, Senior, the album was immediately dubbed as one of the top 100 albums of all time by Rolling Stone. Sadly, the untimely death of band member Roy Orbison (on December 6, 1988) interfered with what might have been to come.
"Wilburys" was a slang term coined by Harrison and Lynne during the recording of Cloud Nine, the Harrison album that featured "When We Was Fab", as a reference to "gremlins" in the recording equipment and process. The term was used again when the entire group was together. Harrison suggested "The Trembling Wilburys" as the group's name, but they decided to use "Traveling" instead.
A charity single, "Nobody's Child" followed, and then a second album (titled Volume 3 to account for the missing chapter that was Roy Orbison's contribution) in October 1990. However, without Orbison's voice, songwriting and "elder statesman" influences, the album met with more limited success.
As of January 2005, rumours refuse to die that there may be a third album in the works, jokingly titled "Vol. 5" because of George Harrison's passing in late 2001.
The two Wilbury albums have long been out of print. However, Tom Petty announced on his XM radio show that both would be re-released sometime in the near future, with bonus tracks.
The Traveling Wilburys of Volume 1 were:
Nelson Wilbury - George Harrison
Otis Wilbury - Jeff Lynne
Lefty Wilbury - Roy Orbison
Charlie T. Jnr. - Tom Petty
Lucky Wilbury - Bob Dylan
The Traveling Wilburys of Volume 3 were:
Spike Wilbury - George Harrison
Clayton Wilbury - Jeff Lynne
Muddy Wilbury - Tom Petty
Boo Wilbury - Bob Dylan
Discography
Albums
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 (1988)
Tom Petty's 'Full Moon Fever' (1989) album is often referred to as Volume 2 due to the various collaborations with other Wilbury members.
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 (1990)
Singles
"Handle With Care" (1988)
"Tweeter and the Monkey Man" (1988)
"End Of The Line" (1989)
"Nobody's Child" (1990)
"She's My Baby" (1990)
"Wilbury Twist" (1991)
Bootlegs
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 2 (1989 demos and extended songs from Vol. 1)
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 4 (1990 out-takes from Vol. 3)
