Page 50 - Classic Rock (January 2020)

Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, with George’s son
Dhani Harrison, at the Rock And Roll Hall Of
Fame Induction Ceremony in 2017.
Top: Lynne and George Martin in 1995.
The Traveling Wilburys in
1988: (l-r) Roy Orbison,
Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, of humour. After a couple of weeks of recording,
George Harrison, Tom Petty. he turned to me and said: “Y’know what? Me and
you should have a group.” I thought it was a great
idea, and asked him who we should have in it. He
went: “Bob Dylan”. So I said: “Right, can we have
“The idea that Mr. Blue Sky has been used to Roy Orbison, then?” George said: “Of course. I love
Roy.” All we had to do was ask. And they all
wake up spacemen is amazing. Just the fact wanted to be in it, so suddenly we had the whole

that someone sent my tune up there.” Traveling Wilburys.

It sounds like your transition into the
drive her nuts: “Stop that ’orrible screeching!” That holiday? How about Australia?” This was in late Wilburys happened very smoothly.
was when I had the studio in the front room. 1986. We got to be good pals on that trip. I think he It was so easy it was unbelievable. Everybody said
just wanted to know that we were going to get yes immediately, without even questioning it. Roy
When you initially wound up ELO in 1986, along. He’d had enough animosity in the past. was thrilled to bits, and I then got to be pals with
did you think that was it for good? When we got back, the whole of England was him. He’d moved to Malibu, just a few miles up the
Kind of. I just wanted to start producing other frozen solid. George and I started to make these road from where I lived, and called me one day:
people. I started with George [Harrison], then tracks, and I co-wrote a few with him [including “Hi Jeff, it’s Roy. I’m ready to work!” We’d already
I ended up producing Paul [McCartney] and after When We Was Fab]. It was just fabulous fun. discussed me working on a few tracks with him
that the two Anthology Beatles tracks, which were [for 1989’s posthumously released Mystery Girl],
John’s two singles. Apart from the music, what was the secret of and the Wilburys came about during that.
your relationship with George?
How did you come to produce We just got on really well and had the same sense In the late eighties and early nineties you also
George Harrison? produced Duane Eddy, Brian
George was looking for me to work Wilson, Ringo Starr and
with him on Cloud Nine [1987]. another major influence from
Dave Edmunds relayed the your formative years, Del
message to me, and then actually Shannon. At that time did it
drove me round to George’s house. feel like everything was coming
It was like a giant palace, an full circle?
amazing place – and kind of scary I just couldn’t believe that these
when you’re going in to meet one people were now my mates. I’d
of The Beatles for the first time. looked up to people like Roy and
We went for a row around the Del Shannon, so to suddenly have TRAVELING WILBURYS: NEAL PRESTON/PRESS; TOP: GETTY x2; BOTTOM: CAMERA PRESS
tunnels underneath the gardens, them as friends, laughing and
these lovely little canals that you having a great time with them, was
could paddle down, then we just fantastic. And then to write
went into the studio and George songs with them. It was more than
played me some of the stuff he I could ever imagine. They were all
was working on. He said: “Before wonderful, it’s just a shame that
Lynne and George Harrison at
we start, do you fancy going on the Hollywood Palace in 1987 they had to go [Orbison died in
after a Dave Edmunds concert.
50 CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM