About The Traveling Wilburys

It was merely a happy accident that brought the sons, all half brothers, of Charles Truscott Wilbury, Sr. together. There was Nelson, Otis, Lefty, Charlie T. Jr. and Lucky Wilbury, perhaps better recognized by their given names – George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan. Sure, they may have been the only band “in the world with five rhythm guitar players” but that wouldn’t stop them from taking on the title of ultimate supergroup.

Harrison set the wheels in motion in 1988 when he called upon his “brothers” to help record a B-side for the single “This is Love” from his album Cloud Nine. The five gathered together at Dylan’s home studio in Malibu, California and the result was the cheerfully infectious “Handle With Care.” The kinship was strong and the song was even stronger, too strong in fact to be used as “filler.”

Inspired by the fruit of their collaboration, the group went on to churn out 10 tracks in 10 days, recording them in LA and London. Each player contributed, writing and often singing in a traditional family style - in the round. On October 18, 1988, the once “Trembling” Wilburys traveled all the way to the top with Volume One. It was most certainly the all-star line-up that first caught the attention of the public and the press but the record’s freewheeling, laid-back singles “Handle With Care” and “End Of The Line” would sustain them. Volume One hit #3 on the charts, reaching triple-platinum sales status and even garnered a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group in 1989.

After the untimely death of Orbison due to a heart attack, the brothers would attempt to carry on. Without “Lefty,” they re-envisioned themselves, becoming “Spike,” “Clayton,” “Muddy” and “Boo.” The four would release the title track to a Romanian Angel Appeal benefit album Nobody’s Child: Romanian Angel Appeal before issuing a second and final album, the intentionally mis-numbered Traveling Wilburys Volume Three. More polished and therefore a little less “in the moment,” it went platinum but failed to capture the spirit of Volume One.

By the late 1990s, the two Traveling Wilburys albums slipped into obscurity due to limited availability and to being out of print in most areas. In June 2007, they were reissued as The Traveling Wilburys Collection, a box set including both albums on CD, plus bonus tracks, a twenty-four minute band documentary, and a collection of music videos. The albums were also released as a limited-edition vinyl box set featuring three LPs pressed on 180-gram HQ vinyl.