close
close

Association-anemone

Bite-sized brilliance in every update

When Jeff Lynne walked into the Traveling Wilburys studio
asane

When Jeff Lynne walked into the Traveling Wilburys studio

The phrase “lightning in a bottle” is often used in musical contexts, but nothing quite matches how perfectly it describes the formation Traveling in the Wilburys. Supergroups often generate excitement by bringing together artists with legendary reputations, but the collaboration between Jeff Lynne, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Roy Orbison stands out as the epitome of musical brilliance.

For Lynne, especially, whose foray into the industry grew out of a love of music like The Beatles, the first mention of forming a group with one of its former members must have seemed barely believable. Harrison had only been working on his album with Lynne for two months when he casually floated the idea. “We should have a group, me and you,” Harrison told Lynne at the time, a prophecy that would soon bring together five of the biggest names in the business.

During the recording sessions, the group collaborated and performed together in a way you might not expect from legacy stars of their caliber. Aside from the frequent “pinch me” moments emitted by others about working with Orbison, there didn’t seem to be an iota of egotistical energy in the room, not even from Dylan, whose attitude usually dominated whatever circle he was in. find.

According to Harrison, their main attraction was their rawness – especially when it came to using guitars and the sounds created by various objects around them. Instead of looking to the future, each of them adhered to the unspoken rule that they would pay homage to traditional rock and roll, simultaneously indulging the appeal of nostalgia and bringing to life the sounds that defined their roots.

This attitude and approach bled into their sessions as well. Lynne, in particular, consistently brought passion and enthusiasm to the studio, which demonstrated his immense love for the craft and appreciation for being allowed to work with such world-class figures. The wheels were always turning in his mind, which meant he was constantly contributing his ideas, eager to make the best music possible.

This enthusiasm led him into the studio late one night, eager to try out an alternate chord pattern for “Not Alone Any More.” With ideas floating around in his mind, he couldn’t rest until he tried, so he went into the studio to change the song. “I put this Telecaster on and took all the other stuff out,” he recalled. “Then everyone else arrived and heard it with the same song but different chords.”

Fortunately, his decision to venture out and go it alone didn’t upset any of the other members, and instead they found his changes to improve the track significantly. “They all loved it,” Lynne later said, which isn’t too hard to believe considering how her changes gave the song more weight without making it sound too different from the original recording.

This attitude made Lynne a major driving force in the Traveling Wilburys and a refreshing and energetic force among the other veterans. While each player brought distinctive qualities to the project, Lynne urged them to recognize innovative subtleties, ensuring that their more traditional approaches were as fresh as the day they first hit the airwaves.

Related topics

Subscribe to the Far Out newsletter