(Credits: Far Out / The Traveling Wilburys)
Sat 30 August 2025 17:15, UK
Everything about the Traveling Wilburys felt like it was an absolute joy for everyone involved. Each of the music legends seemed to be getting together to have a good time, but Jeff Lynne knew that there were some moments in the group that cast a dark shadow over their time together.
Then again, the whole idea felt like a dream come true for someone like Lynne. He had already grown up as one of the biggest fans of The Beatles, and after spending much of his career trying to be his own version of the Fab Four in ELO, the idea of working alongside someone like George Harrison would have never stopped being a thrill for him. So when Harrison floated the idea of getting everyone from Bob Dylan to Roy Orbison to Tom Petty in the mix, the whole thing felt like a marriage made in heaven.
And that’s exactly what it sounded like when ‘Handle With Care’ first came out. Every single member of the group brought their A-game to the session, and while Bob Dylan and Tom Petty harmonising together did give some rough edges to their sound, having that balanced out with Lynne and Orbison duetting on the second bridge of the song was the perfect chocolate and peanut butter combination.
When the band were firing on all cylinders, though, there was no one that owned the room quite like Orbison did. He had been a superstar long before The Beatles had even conquered America, and while he had his fair share of dips throughout his career, he was treated like a god before he even sang a note. And when he did eventually come to the forefront on ‘Not Alone Any More’, he sounded heavenly working off the rest of the group.
So when Orbison passed away halfway through the promotion of the first album, it was bound to be a body blow for everyone involved. There are a handful of moments where the remaining four band members sound great without Orbison on the first album, but when talking about his final song with the Wilburys, ‘End of the Line’, Lynne couldn’t help but get a sour taste in his mouth.
The video is beautifully shot and does a great job at paying tribute to Orbison’s memory, but Lynne couldn’t help but feel bitter about how quickly the fun seemed to be sucked out of everything, saying, “Everybody loved to have a part, because it was such a catchy and sentimental song, and when Roy comes in, he just blows my mind. Of course, Roy died just when we finished it and the record was coming out, which was the most sickening thing to me. I was devastated for ages because of that. Me and Roy had had plans to do much more together, and his voice was in really good shape.”
For anyone listening to the song, though, it’s hard not to feel a little bit bitter along with Lynne. Orbison was clearly ascending once again, and with his final single ‘You Got It’ becoming a hit as well, he seemed poised to enter the musical conversation again before a heart attack took him from the world. But Harrison did have the best response to the passing of his idol and bandmate, claiming that Orbison’s astral body will always be a part of the band.
Everyone has their time to go, and while Orbison’s passing happened when he was far too young, it’s nice to know that he went out at the top of his game. There’s no telling what he could have made afterwards, but there was no doubt that he knew that he had made some tremendous music during his final days.
Related Topics