S.O.D. "Handle With Care" by The Traveling Wilburys

6/5/2015     Crazy things inspire the titles of songs and the names of bands.  That tradition continues here as George Harrison was inspired by a box while hanging out with the other legendary band members in a garden near Bob Dylan's recording studio.  The box was labeled "Handle with Care" and went on to inspire the opening line: "Been beat up and battered around".  Bandmember and producer Jeff Lynne later polished the various lines thought up by the rest of the band.  

     The song's story tells of a man recounting his life experiences to his new found love and how they have weighed heavy on him and contributed to his loneliness, persuading her to "handle him with care".  Originally the tune was to be Harrison's B-side of "This Is Love" however his record company decided the song was too good to be released as a filler.  This resulted in the Wilburys reconvening and recording their first album with "Handle with Care" as the title track.  The genre is Heartland Rock, released in October 1988 and is the last release and video for Roy Orbison prior to his death on 12/6/88.  

     All five members had a hand in the composition and lyrics. In case you're not familiar, The Traveling Wilburys consist of Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne.  Session drummer and percussionist Jim Keltner was not listed on either album but appears in all of their videos.  The group made two albums and on both they each take a fake name with their last names being Wilbury.  

     The name Wilburys came about during the recording session with Harrison and Lynn working on the song "Cloud Nine."  Referring to recording errors, Harrison jokingly said we'll bury 'em.  At first Harrison suggested the Trembling Wilburys, but the group agreed on the name when Lynne came up with traveling.  Their first album won a Grammy for best performance by a group.  Just two albums were produced by the Wilburys, "Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1" and  "Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3, "Another Stab at Levity."  The second album was made after Orbison's passing and the video for "End of the Line" shows his guitar rocking in a chair while the rest of the group played.  

     These guys were some serious jokers and involved Pee Wee Herman as one of the Wilburys' son and some of the cast from Monty Python's Flying Circus for some of the writing on the sleeves.  They were active from 1988-1990 with staggering accomplishments.