Traveling Wilburys 30th Anniversary Edition Announced

What do George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne have in common?...

SALUTING THE ULTIMATE SUPERGROUP

 

THE TRAVELING WILBURYS VOL. 1 GETS A 30TH ANNIVERSARY

LIMITED EDITION 12-INCH PICTURE DISC

 

AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 2, 2018

Los Angeles, CA - The Traveling Wilburys would have never referred to themselves as a supergroup. Though comprised of some of the biggest names in modern music, the band was much more nonchalant than that. Formed out of friendship, spontaneity (and some would say pure kismet) the Traveling Wilburys were Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison.

The music they created together on their 1988 debut would win GRAMMY®s and garner platinum plaques, but, more than anything, it was a testament to the group's enduring chemistry and collective genius. Craft Recordings' 30th-anniversary 12-inch picture-disc reissue of The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 on November 2 celebrates this blue moon moment in rock 'n' roll history.

 

The limited edition picture

The Traveling Wilburys. From left, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom
 Petty, Roy Orbison and George Harrison. Photo: Neal Preston

disc is available for pre-order HERE.

 

The origin story of the Traveling Wilburys is a pretty simple one. It was really just about five friends gathering to make music together in a home studio-except for the fact that they all happened to be rock 'n' roll royalty. It began in 1988, when George Harrison and co-producer Jeff Lynne were tasked with recording a B-side for the former Beatle's album, Cloud Nine. In need of a place to record on the fly, the two borrowed their friend, Bob Dylan's, studio. They ended up spontaneously pulling Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, and ultimately Dylan himself into the process. The resulting track was "Handle With Care," a collaborative effort which Harrison's A&R team knew was just too good to use as a B-side.

 

George later said, "I liked the song and the way that it turned out with all these people on it so much that I just carried it around in my pocket for ages thinking, 'Well what can I do with this thing?' And the only thing to do I could think of was do another nine. Make an album." And that's what the fivesome did, working quickly and informally, and operating as a full-fledged band, sharing lead vocals and songwriting duties. In keeping with that all-for-one spirit, they even created an alternate identity as a family band, the Traveling Wilburys, with each member adopting an alias: Dylan was Lucky Wilbury, Harrison was Nelson Wilbury, Orbison was Lefty Wilbury, Lynne was Otis Wilbury, and Petty became Charlie T. Wilbury Jr.

 

When you listen to these five musical giants trading lines and licks, there's an unmistakable spirit of creativity and fraternity; it's this pure enthusiasm that helped the record connect in such a widespread way.

 

The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. is bookended by two huge hits. Opening the album is the aforementioned "Handle With Care," with its blend of world-weariness and buoyancy set atop a chugging roots-rock groove, and Orbison's otherworldly tenor adding the cherry on top. "End of the Line" closes things out, and it's the perfect soundtrack for riding off into the sunset, with a sing-along chorus, stomp-along beat, and an overwhelming vibe of carefree contentment.

 

In between lie the swinging rockabilly of "Rattled," the tongue-in-cheek, double-entendre-laden "Dirty World," the vintage-sounding Orbison weeper "Not Alone Any More," the south-of-the-border stroll "Last Night," the sunny "Margarita" (where synth, sax, and slide guitar slug it out for dominance), and more. The once-in-a-lifetime nature of this historic partnership was underscored tragically by Orbison's unexpected death just six weeks after the album's release.

 

The 30th anniversary reminds us of a more recently departed Wilbury, as it arrives just over a year after Petty's passing. But all this only makes the time the five Wilburys spent together seem that much more special. And with an A-side featuring the band's bold logo, a B-side displaying an Alberto Tolot photo of the Wilburys, and a die-cut sleeve revealing the picture disc in all its glory, this limited-edition 12-inch vinyl version of The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 is an aesthetically stunning salute to the world's original, ultimate supergroup.

 

TRACK LISTING:

A1. Handle With Care

A2. Dirty World

A3. Rattled

A4. Last Night

A5. Not Alone Any More

 

B1. Congratulations

B2. Heading for the Light

B3. Margarita

B4. Tweeter and the Monkey Man

B5. End of the Line

TheTravelingWilburys.com

CraftRecordings.com

Orbison and Hamilton option The Beatle Who Vanished

This truly sounds like a story worth telling. I am very interested in seeing Jimmie Nicol's story as an interim member of the Fab Four brought to the screen...

Orbison Films and 449 Productions option

THE BEATLE WHO VANISHED

FEATURE/TV SERIES IN DEVELOPMENT ON MYSTERY MAN WHO TOURED IN RINGO STARR’S STEAD

Drummer Jimmie Nicol with Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison.
Photo credit: ©Mirrorpix

Ashley Hamilton’s 449 Productions and Alex Orbison, on behalf of Roy’s Boys Films, have optioned the rights to The Beatle Who Vanished from author Jim Berkenstadt who is known in music circles as the “Rock and Roll Detective®.” The two will serve as Executive Producers along with Berkenstadt on the project that delves into a heretofore-unknown chapter in Beatles’ history that was chronicled in Berkenstadt’s book The Beatle Who Vanished, first published in 2013.  It is expected that the property will take the form either of a feature film or streaming television series. 

Jimmie Nicol’s life changed on June 3, 1964 when he received a call from a desperate George Martin who asked if the drummer could stop everything and go out on the Beatles’ first world tour, conditional on his passing an audition. He would replace Ringo Starr who has been stricken with tonsillitis and pharyngitis and had been admitted to Middlesex University Hospital.  The very next day, the tour departed for Denmark, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand with Nicol spending two weeks as a Beatle, both onstage and off.  After Ringo recovered and rejoined the group, Nicol, for all intents and purposes, vanished.  Drummer/producer Butch Vig, who has worked with Paul McCartney, Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Garbage called The Beatle Who Vanished “a fascinating and mysterious read for anyone who wants to understand the meteoric rise to pop stardom and subsequent crash landing.” 

Hamilton commented, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Jim Berkenstadt to expand his vision to another medium and expose a whole new audience to his riveting and previously untold Beatles’ story.” Orbison added, “It’s a truly compelling story of the man who rescued The Beatles’ first world tour from disaster. His 15 minutes of fame was 13 days and by the age of 25 he seemingly vanished.  This is a story that is both intimate and epic.” Orbison and Hamilton are hoping to foster the creation of an unprecedented soundtrack that will re-create the music from The Beatles’ tour with Nicol and from his entire musical career.

Paul McCartney summarized the enigma that was Jimmie Nicol “It wasn't an easy thing for Jimmie to stand in for Ringo, and have all that fame thrust upon him. And the minute his tenure was over, he wasn't famous anymore.”

During the tour, McCartney was aware of the pressure that Nicol was under and would inquire as to how he was getting on.  Putting on a brave face, Nicol’s stock response was “It’s getting better,” the recurring comment providing the inspiration for the Sargent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band track “Getting Better.” Unfortunately, the opposite would hold true with Nicol.  After his 13 days of fame were over, the true mystery of Nicol’s story was riddled with blacklisting, betrayal, substance abuse, bankruptcy and an eventual disappearance that has led many to question whether he is dead or alive. He had become a mysterious footnote in Beatles history until Berkenstadt began his research. 

Berkenstadt is the author of Classic Rock Albums: Nirvana – Nevermind (with Charles Cross) as well as Black Market Beatles: The Story Behind the Lost Recordings (with Scott Belmo Belmer). He is founder of Rock and Roll Detective® LLC, a company dedicated to providing production, publishing, writing, research, social media and content creation for the entertainment industry. He has consulted to the late George Harrison, The Beatles and Martin Scorsese.

Ashley Hamilton is an actor/singer/comedian and long time friend of Alex Orbison and his family; he is the son of actors George Hamilton and Alana Stewart. Orbison is one of the principals of Roy’s Boys LLC, the Nashville-based family company owned by the sons of Roy Orbison to administer their father’s catalog and safeguard his legacy.  Alex Orbison served as both Executive Producer and writer of the recent Mystery Girl – Unraveled documentary. It should be noted that the Beatles, with Ringo on board, were Roy Orbison’s opening act on a 21 date UK tour in 1963.  Years later Orbison would collaborate with the Beatles’ George Harrison as well as Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne in The Traveling Wilburys. 

Sights and sounds: Roy Orbison, Blondie, The Whigs, First Aid Kit

If it's Wednesday morning, there must be music news to share...

USA Today has an interesting story and video link related to the upcoming May 19 release of the deluxe edition of Roy Orbison's Mystery Girl and a documentary film related to the creation of that outstanding release. Read the story here.

Are you a fan of Blondie? You can stream her new 40th anniversary release here.

The Whigs will return and will perform on The Late Show With David Letterman tonight. Now in the midst of a North American headlining tour, the band will perform the new song "Hit Me" (off their latest album Modern Creation).

For more information, visit www.thewhigs.com. 

First Aid Kit - Photo: Neil Krug

Finally, I am a big fan of Sweden's First Aid Kit and momentum is building with the release of the duo's Stay Gold set to land via Columbia Records on June 10, 2014. Check out the article in the online version of Paste Magazine which also features the retro-mining video for the beautiful new song "Cedar Lane" by clicking here. 

The duo is embarking on a tour in support of Stay Gold later this month, including a date at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on May 28. Stockholm-based sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg will also make their first-ever performance at the Bonnaroo Festival in June.

Here is the tracklisting for Stay Gold: 

1. My Silver Lining
2. Master Pretender
3. Stay Gold
4. Cedar Lane
5. Shattered & Hollow
6. The Bell
7. Waitress Song
8. Fleeting One
9. Heaven Knows
10. A Long Time Ago

You can learn more about First Aid Kit by visiting: http://thisisfirstaidkit.com/