When you hear the word "supergroup," it immediately conjures the image of stadium-filling tours, monster sales, and even bigger egos. But the Traveling Wilburys — the unexpectedly successful coming together of some of yesteryear's biggest names with Tom Petty, who was just about to hit his commercial peak — was perhaps as humble a gathering of rock gods as you are likely to get.
The band — which was made up of ex-Beatle George Harrison, rock 'n' roll legend Roy Orbison, and Electric Light Orchestra multi-instrumentalist Jeff Lynne, alongside Bob Dylan and Tom Petty — came about entirely by accident, and at a perfect moment for all those involved, as Warren Zanes describes in "Petty: The Biography." Petty had grown to become good friends with Harrison, and he had connected with Lynne to produce his debut solo album, "Full Moon Fever." When the album was shockingly rejected by Petty's label, MCA Records, the musician found himself facing a creative roadblock. But Harrison came to the rescue. Per No Depression, Harrison had to record a B-side for the single "This Is Love." At short notice, he recruited his fell rock legends to contribute, and the resulting song, "Handle with Care," was of such quality that the group decided they were onto something. Rather than keep it a B-side, it became the first single of the five-man supergroup. It was a huge success, revitalizing the careers of many of those involved and providing a welcome distraction from the solo careers of both Petty and Dylan.
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