Supergroup #1 - The Traveling Wilburys

And so begins the "Johnny Bottles' Supergroup Of The Week" segment.

There's a few of my mum and dad's records that have always stuck in my head since early childhood. "Hey" by Julio Iglesias (Mum), "Brothers In Arm" by Dire Straits (Dad), "Now That's What I Call Music - The Christmas Album" (Both). But the one that I loved the most was Dad's cassette of  "Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1" by The Traveling Wilburys. The first song on the album, "Handle With Care", became the band's biggest hit and was practically on repeat in our living room every Saturday afternoon. I loved it. Loved it to bits. I grew up with that song, that album and that band. It wasn't until we got the internet in my house (12 years after dad bought the album) until I decided to see who The Traveling Wilburys were. Jesus Christ, that's George Harrison! And Bob Dylan! And that fella who sings "Pretty Woman"! Here's what I found out that day....

George Harrison was releasing a single called "This Is Love" and needed a B-side. He co-wrote "This Is Love" with Jeff Lynne of The Electric Light Orchestra and the two of them decided to meet up with Roy Orbison for dinner to ask him if he'd like to help them record the new song. Roy agreed and the studio that they chose to record it in was Bob Dylan's home studio in Malibu. On the way to the studio however, George realised that he had left his guitar in his friend's house. That friend was Tom Petty. He went back for the guitar and ended up bringing it, along with Tom Petty, back to the studio. During the following sessions these five legends of modern music wrote "Handle With Care" as the B-side along with "You Got It" which became Roy Orbison's first hit in 24 years. "Handle With Care" was considered too good by the record company to be used as a B-side and the five enjoyed playing together so much that they decided to record a full album.

All five sang, all five wrote and all five produced. The resulting album was my dad's beloved "Traveling Wilburys - Vol.1". George and Jeff had been calling studio equipment (limiters, equalizers) "Wilburys." So first they named their fivesome "The Trembling Wilburys". Jeff suggested "Traveling" instead. Everyone agreed. Each of the members chose a pseudonym and pretended to be half-brothers and sons of a fictional Charles Truscott Wilbury, Sr.

• George Harrison - Nelson Wilbury

• Roy Orbison - Lefty Wilbury

• Bob Dylan - Lucky Wilbury

• Jeff Lynne - Otis Wilbury

• Tom Petty - Charlie T. Wilbury Jr.

The album sold over five million copies and went triple-platinum in America as well as winning a Grammy in 1989. On the 6th of December 1988 however, Roy Orbison died at the age of 52 of a heart attack and although the remaining members went on to record a second album, it never quite seemed the same without Roy. Unfortunately, we'll never get to see the Wilburys play live as George has also gone to join Roy in the big Green Room in the sky but as far as I know, Dad still has that album on cassette and it can still be heard drifting around my house on a Saturday afternoon.