Band History

Introduction by Mo Ostin
The birth of the Traveling Wilburys was a happy accident. Warner Bros. Records' International Department had asked that George Harrison come up with a B-side for "This Is Love," a single from his Cloud Nine album. At the time it was customary to couple an A-side with a never-before-heard track, giving the single extra sales value.

This was mid-1988. Cloud Nine was just out. George, along with cowriter Jeff Lynne and their friends Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison, had been hanging out in Dylan's studio. I suppose George figured that as long as his pals were on hand, why not use them to knock off this flipside?

A couple of days later George came by my office to play the new "B-side." We went next door to A&R head Lenny Waronker's office so he could hear it too. George played us "Handle With Care." Our reaction was immediate. This was a song we knew could not be wasted on some B-side. Roy Orbison's vocal was tremendous. I really loved the beautiful guitar figure that George played. The guys had really nailed it.

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