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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Wilburys set to travel again
By Matt Hurwitz, Special for USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2007-06-10-traveling-wilburys_N.htm
Nelson, Otis, Charlie T. Jr., Lefty and Lucky were never household names on the order of, say, John, Paul, George and Ringo. But in 1988, the alter egos of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne (ELO), Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan were lighting up airwaves and sales charts as the Traveling Wilburys.
The supergroup's double-platinum-selling debut album, Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1, reached No. 3 on the Billboard album charts and spawned two hit singles, Handle With Care and End of the Line. Then came the playfully titled Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3 two years later. ("That was George's idea," says Lynne, who co-produced both albums with the former Beatle, who died in 2001. "He said, 'Let's confuse the buggers.' ")
The two much-treasured albums, complete with four bonus tracks and a DVD of home movies from the sessions, are being reissued Tuesday by Rhino as The Traveling Wilburys Collection, after more than 10 years' absence.
Maxine and Like a Ship, featuring Harrison and Dylan, respectively, on lead vocals, are previously unreleased outtakes from Vol. 3. "They were completed, except for some harmonies, so I asked George's son, Dhani, to do his father's parts, which was nice," Lynne says.
The third bonus track, Nobody's Child, was recorded for Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal, a charity album Harrison's wife, Olivia, put together to help Romanian orphans. The fourth song, Runaway, was a B-side to a British single (She's My Baby).
The DVD features the original music videos, along with a 24-minute documentary told in the group's own voices. Fans will savor home videos shot during the recording of both albums, showing everything from writing sessions to vocal tracking to fun with the guys.
"George loved the Wilburys," Petty says. "He treasured it, really. He missed having a band." Adds Olivia Harrison: "He was happy to play music with anyone — Dhani's school friends, me. He just wanted to play."
Harrison floated the idea of putting together a band of "over-40s," possibly called The Tremblers, while recording his hit solo album Cloud Nine with producer Lynne, recalls engineer Richard Dodd. The name eventually evolved.
"He and Jeff used to call gadgets in the studio 'wilburys,' like, 'Let's give that sound a trembling wilbury,' " Olivia says. "One night, they said, 'Oh, if you had a band, you could call it the Traveling Wilburys.' "
The opportunity came to create that band in April 1988, when Harrison needed to record a B-side for his single This Is Love. While in Los Angeles, he popped in on Lynne, who was working on Orbison's Mystery Girl album, to ask for help.
"Jeff told him, 'I can't do it right now, I'm with Roy,' " recalls Orbison's wife, Barbara. "But George was very smooth. He asked Roy, 'What are you doing tomorrow?' and Roy said, 'Whatever Jeff is doing,' and George said, 'Well, I need Jeff's help.' "
After a quick phone call to Dylan, Harrison secured a studio — Bob's garage — for the following day.
Petty had co-written Orbison's You Got It and was pals with Harrison. "By the time we got to Bob's, the band was falling into line," Petty says. "It just wasn't official."
The reluctant Dylan was brought into the fold after Harrison, who had the tune but no lyrics, played him the song. When Dylan asked its name, "George looked around and spotted some words on a touring case in the garage: Handle with care," Lynne says.
"We wrote the words over dinner," Petty says. "Bob grilled us some chicken, and we wrote the words together in the garden."
The song was recorded that night and presented to Warner Bros. Records chief Mo Ostin, who insisted that Harrison not waste it but continue recording an entire album.
With only 10 days to record before Dylan went on the road, Harrison, Lynne and Petty convened in Orbison's dressing room at a show in Anaheim, Calif., to ask the singing legend to formally join the group. When he said yes, "we were so excited, we were like kids, jumping up and down and shouting and screaming," Lynne says.
The album was recorded in Los Angeles at the home studio of The Eurythmics' Dave Stewart and released five months later to universal acclaim.
The project was bittersweet — Orbison died just two months later, before the recording of the second disc — but the experience had been extraordinary for all involved. "It was a nice vacation from the spotlight," Petty says. "We were sharing the load together."
Harrison was happy to have the camaraderie, his widow says. "They had such great skill and brought out the best in you, and they were people you wanted to do your best for. That's really what it was about for him, and probably for all of them."
[Edited by Ten Thousand Motels] |
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| Mel Belli |
I'm watching the documentary right now, and one of the recording engineers is seen wearing an X-Pensive Winos T-shirt. |
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| Nellcote |
From Newbury Comics, Boston based record store...
George Harrison was looking for a European single in the spring of 1988. After dinner with former ELO frontman Jeff Lynne and rock crooner Roy Orbison, Harrison talked to Bob Dylan to see if they could use his home studio. On their way to Dylan’s, Harrison had left a guitar at Tom Petty’s house, and the leader of the Heartbreakers jumped at the chance to come along.
The single they ended up with – title taken from a brown cardboard box – was “Handle With Care.” It was so good that Harrison didn’t want to “waste” it as a B-side. The potent lineup had so much fun writing together that the only thing to do was keep it going. After a short working break spent together, the result was the brilliant “Volume One,” with such radio hits as “Handle With Care,” “Last Night,” and “End of the Line.”
Orbison just finished the first album with the group, but passed away as it was exploding on the radio. The record turned out to be a fitting finale for the man with one of rock’s most distinctive voices, highlighted on “Volume One” by the song “Not Alone Any More.” The group forged on without Orbison and in 1990 released its second album, humorously titled “Volume 3” by Harrison (in between albums, Lynne produced Petty’s smash “Full Moon Fever,” which is also considered by some to be the “second” Wilburys’ record).
According to Rolling Stone, the albums went out of print in 1996 when the Warner Bros. license on them expired. The license was not renewed by Harrison before he passed away in 2001, so fans have not been able to access the albums for quite some time. But Harrison’s widow, Olivia, shopped the records around and found a willing and able partner in Rhino Records.
The release gets a royal treatment, as “Volume One” and “Volume Three” are split by a stellar DVD. It features the group’s five videos, including a poignant “End of the Line” in which the recently deceased Orbison’s empty rocking chair, guitar and photo stand in for the real thing.
The DVD also includes a 24-minute feature about the “True History” of the group. The nuggets on this are spectacular. There’s the group sitting around in someone’s kitchen, jamming on acoustic guitars and writing music. “Wow, Roy Orbison is in the band,” mumbles an incredulous Petty. There’s a short segment on how Dylan cranked out the song “Tweeter and the Monkey Man” in one sitting. There’s the origin of “Dirty World,” which came about as they all sat around in a circle throwing out lines found in various magazines lying around the room.
Without Orbison, the second album isn’t nearly as strong as the first, but there is still plenty of good stuff there, including “She’s My Baby,” with wicked guitar work from Gary Moore, along with the hilarious “Wilbury Twist.” In keeping with the “come one, come all” theme, John Candy makes a guest appearance on the “Twist” video, imploring the viewer to “put your foot in the air, then hop around the room, in your underwear.”
The chorus in “Twist” sums up the whole project pretty well: “Ain’t ever bin nothin’ quite like this, it’s a magical thing called the Wilbury Twist.”
-- Bill, Internet Dept. at Newbury Comics
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| Martha |
Ordered a copy with the DVD last week. Hasn't arrived yet.
Thanks for the articles!
Martha |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
Well hell.
I opened this thread expecting to see a newly reformed Wilburys. I couldn't wait to see who they had tapped for George and Roy's spots.
But all I see is another repackage job of the same stuff that I already have.
I'd like to see the DVD though... |
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| Mel Belli |
quote:
Sir Stonesalot wrote:
Well hell.
I opened this thread expecting to see a newly reformed Wilburys. I couldn't wait to see who they had tapped for George and Roy's spots.
But all I see is another repackage job of the same stuff that I already have.
I'd like to see the DVD though...
There's a pair of bonus tracks with each album, too. |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
Oh boy. How can I resist that?
Real easy.
I'd love to see Bruce and Tom Waits in a new Wilbury's |
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| gimmekeef |
Travelling Willnots.....anything with that Beatle Wannabe Jeff Lynne I ignore like the plague.... |
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| Gazza |
quote:
Nellcote wrote:
is in the band,” mumbles an incredulous Petty. There’s a short segment on how Dylan cranked out the song “Tweeter and the Monkey Man” in one sitting.
Amazing, considering Dylan was at his creative lowpoint as a songwriter at the time. Fantastic song, with about half a dozen namechecks to Springsteen songs (and a couple more that have since been released, like "Lions Den" and "Paradise"). Love it.
I think the magic had gone somewhat by the time of the 2nd album and its a bit patchy, but Vol. 1 is a gem and just great harmless fun. Q's review of it at the time summed it up. They gave it four stars, and would have given it five but at "one star was deducted due to the fact that its just a lot of old farts dicking about"
[Edited by Gazza] |
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| Mel Belli |
quote:
Gazza wrote:
Amazing, considering Dylan was at his creative lowpoint as a songwriter at the time.
[Edited by Gazza]
Was that just before the Lanois intervention? |
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| Martha |
Got to see a documentary on Roy Orbison last night airing on the documentary channel. They showed a bit of footage during the Wilbury's collaboration in what must be Bob's garage. He's got boxes of shit everywhere...LOL.
Roy was unlike anyone in music....what a stunning and unique singing voice he had. Truly a sound from the heavens. Jeff Lynne talked about getting set to record Roy. Roy's speaking voice is so soft the levels were set for it and then he began to sing and blew the levels off the chart. They had to begin again. It was a sweet and funny story I'm glad he shared it. I can't wait for my copy to arrive.
peace and love,
Martha |
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| Gazza |
quote:
Mel Belli wrote:
Was that just before the Lanois intervention?
Yes. His two most recent studio efforts were the thrown- together turds that were "Knocked Out Loaded" and "Down In The Groove". The Lanois-inspired return to form that was "Oh Mercy" was recorded a few months after the Wilburys album.
Wasnt the last time that a Lanois produced record gave him a kick up the arse in terms of creativity, as he produced "Time out of Mind" eight years later. |
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| Gazza |
quote:
Martha wrote:
They showed a bit of footage during the Wilbury's collaboration in what must be Bob's garage. He's got boxes of shit everywhere...LOL.
Would you care to rephrase that? I presume you dont mean it literally. No wonder he caught histoplasmosis just a few years later.
Theres bound to be an expression for people who collect shit. "Bon Jovi Fans" is the best one I can think of. |
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| jostorm |
quote:
Gazza wrote:
Theres bound to be an expression for people who collect shit. "Bon Jovi Fans" is the best one I can think of.
----------------------------------------------
Funny, the first word that came to My mind was
"bootleg-collector"
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| Erik_Snow |
My precious bootlegs...! |
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| Mel Belli |
quote:
Sir Stonesalot wrote:
I'd love to see Bruce and Tom Waits in a new Wilbury's
Or maybe Elvis Costello. |
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| Martha |
quote:
Gazza wrote:
Would you care to rephrase that? I presume you dont mean it literally. No wonder he caught histoplasmosis just a few years later.
Theres bound to be an expression for people who collect shit. "Bon Jovi Fans" is the best one I can think of.
Hey! I grew-up in a tiny village/farming community and this is the way I speak Gary! LOL
Ok to rephrase....Bob's garage had numerous boxes overflowing behind the bandmates up on the wall shelving. Methinks the garage needed a "makeover'!
I don't think, even though Bob tells in great detail how to clean pretty much anything on his TTRH "Spring Cleaning" themed show, that he's cleaned in his lifetime. Must be nice by the way. :-)
xxoo to you G,
MM |
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| Martha |
quote:
Mel Belli wrote:
Or maybe Elvis Costello.
Yeah!!!! I LIKE the way you think Mel!!!! :-) |
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| Martha |
quote:
Erik_Snow wrote:
My precious bootlegs...!
Howdy Hi!
Pkg received!!!!
You bowled me over!
It's my turn!!!
hehehehe.........
xxxxoooo,
Martha |
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| JaggerLips |
Not going to be the same without the late George Harrison now is it? |
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| Martha |
quote:
JaggerLips wrote:
Not going to be the same without the late George Harrison now is it?
No he cannot be recreated or replaced.
I miss George. :-( |
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| JaggerLips |
quote:
Martha wrote:
No he cannot be recreated or replaced.
I miss George. :-(
It's like Queen without Freddie Mercury, just isn't going to be anywhere near as good. |
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| Lord (Hetero) |
I keep hearing Gary Louris in that group. |
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| BONOISLOVE |
The "Travelin'" WHAT?? |
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| Highwire Rob |
quote:
Mel Belli wrote:
Or maybe Elvis Costello.
Or Harrison's son Dani and Lindsey Buckingham... they could tour and record a new Wilbury's record entitled: The Lost Vol. 2  |
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| Erik_Snow |
Hey Martha, great to hear about the sending,
hope it's enjoyable ! |
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| Honky Tonk Man |
Just listend to Volume 3 and to my ears its underrated. It may lack Roy Orbinsons wonderful vocals, but I'd say it's a more rocking album. Wow, I really am impressed with the Wilbury's. Untill yesterday, I'd only heard Handle With Care. |
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| Erik_Snow |
quote:
Honky Tonk Man wrote:
Just listend to Volume 3 and to my ears its underrated. It may lack Roy Orbinsons wonderful vocals, but I'd say it's a more rocking album. Wow, I really am impressed with the Wilbury's. Untill yesterday, I'd only heard Handle With Care.
No doubt, it's a really really good album
Nevertheless I have to agree with Gazza, that Vol 1 is a more complete album - there are a few fillers on Vol 3, still I'd rate it pretty high
There seems to be a lot of people who love the Wilburys albums, but don't care at all for Dylan, Orbison, Harrison or Petty's other works....I'm not sure why, but I've noticed that |
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| Martha |
quote:
Erik_Snow wrote:
Hey Martha, great to hear about the sending,
hope it's enjoyable !
Hey Erik!
It hasn't gone out yet (tomorrow)....(I don't have a car) but I have my fingers crossed it will be something you don't have....that you'll love. :-)
xxoo,
Martha |
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| Martha |
quote:
Erik_Snow wrote:
No doubt, it's a really really good album
Nevertheless I have to agree with Gazza, that Vol 1 is a more complete album - there are a few fillers on Vol 3, still I'd rate it pretty high
There seems to be a lot of people who love the Wilburys albums, but don't care at all for Dylan, Orbison, Harrison or Petty's other works....I'm not sure why, but I've noticed that
Listening.....is an art form too!
:-) |
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