# In 1988, five rock legends formed the Traveling Wilburys. Tom Petty remembered it as a flawless experience

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1988-five-rock-legends-formed-the-traveling-wilburys-tom-petty-remembered-it-as-a-flawless-experience/
- Published: 2026-10-24T19:39:09+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-24T20:39:00+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-traveling-wilburys-could-have-been-a-disaster-one-member-later-claimed-there-were-no-bad-moments/
- Topics: Culture, Travel

## Key points

- An unfinished B-side sparked the Traveling Wilburys.
- Five musicians came together to record “Handle With Care”.
- Tom Petty recalled no negative moments in the project.

## Summary

An unfinished B-side requested by George Harrison’s record label unexpectedly brought five major musicians together as the Traveling Wilburys. Despite concerns that their strong personalities might clash, Tom Petty later described making their album as a joyful experience with no negative moments.

Harrison first contacted Jeff Lynne, who brought Roy Orbison into the project; they then went to Bob Dylan’s Malibu studio, where Petty joined them. The group recorded “Handle With Care”, which began as the extra track and led to the Wilburys’ formation. Petty said in a 2014 interview that they made the record for themselves and enjoyed the process.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.