They’re almost like a myth, too good to be true. Things on this planet don’t happen that way. It’s apparent that the Travelling Wilburys never existed. Or, at the very least, if someone told me right now that I had dreamed them up in a fever dream, I would probably believe them. How could it be true that an era-spanning group of the finest musicians in history simply got together and banged out a bunch of classics?
Fortunately, for sanity’s sake, they’ve sold approximately 10 million copies of their two albums to demonstrate their celebrated existence. While their albums, which peaked third and eleventh in the United States, may not have reached the stratospheric heights of their members at their peak, the band now represents something far greater. In the intervening years, the band’s brotherhood has enhanced the music—the myth and legend of buddies jamming together a few tracks has established itself as a charming window into a different period.
The cheerful nature of the concept goes to the formation of their history as well. In essence, their development was similar to George Harrison creating a group text with his musical collaborators. Fated handled the rest. As Tom Petty famously stated, “None of this would have happened without [George Harrison].” It was always George’s band, and it had been a long-held goal of his.” He gathered a group of friends to participate on his next single, remembered he had left his guitar at Petty’s house, and decided they might as well jam while they were at it. It was so popular among the celebs that a band was formed shortly after.
And the band worked! It was not a case of too many cooks. Bob Dylan’s natural sense of melody supported the songs, George Harrison added his trademark chords, wistful songwriting, and upbeat ways, Jeff Lynne provided production and arrangement wizardry, Roy Orbison had pipes from heaven and solid rock ‘n’ roll sensibilities, and Tom Petty injected the visceral edge of cool youth. However, there is one major ingredient absent from the mix: percussion.
So, who played the drums for The Travelling Wilburys?
That honour went to the legendary Buster Sidebury. Within the Wilburys, each member had an alter persona; George Harrison was known as Nelson Wilbury, Jeffy Lynne as Otis Wilbury, Roy Orbison as Lefty Wilbury, Tom Petty as Charlie T Wilbury Jr, and Dylan as Lucky Wilbury. Buster Sidebury’s tax return includes Jim Keltner’s birth name.
It’s difficult to understand the pressure Keltner had as the session musician called in to play drums on their debut. It nearly appears like it would put even more pressure on Keltner’s shoulders, but for them, it was all a bit of a fun. Fortunately, he was already familiar with Dylan (he had been drumming for the folk singer for 30 years), and, to be honest, he had been chosen and invited by the group’s leader.
George Harrison, 1980s
“That was George completely,” Keltner said of how he got engaged. “George became like a brother. He enjoyed having me around all the time for several reasons. When he was working on something, I would be there. I believe [Harrison’s] album Cloud 9 came before Wilburys. I was in his studio. We dubbed it H.O.T. Studio, Henley-on-Thames, and we were having a great time.”
“Jeff Lynne was working with him on the Cloud 9 record,” he informed Ray Padgett. “Jeff and George had remarkably similar senses of humour. The insane English version of Monty Python humour. The more beers they drank, the sillier they became. We sat around one night. I believe we had just finished recording ‘This Is Love’, my favourite song on the album. They started making up band names just to be amusing. They continued going. Finally, they decided on the Travelling Wilburys. They thought that was just amusing.”
Keltner laughed along without thinking anything about it. He learnt that Harrison was planned to fly away to record ‘Handle With Care’ with his old friend Dylan, and he eagerly anticipated the results, much like everyone else. The next thing he knew, Harrison and Lynne were returning to England with a valuable album from a supergroup and asking him to overdub some drums on the tracks.
How did the Travelling Wilburys write?
Back in the States, the acclaimed clutch had gotten busy at Eurythmics mastermind Dave Stewart’s place. In fact, Stewart claims he would have joined the band if not for an upcoming tour. They’d simply sit around in his kitchen or garden with their acoustics, strum out a new melody, throw around some lyrics (which was easy enough with Dylan present), set off a little drum machine to keep time, and then Harrison, who served as a producer alongside Lynne, would, essentially, audition the members to see whose voice suited the song best.
After that casual cacophony of diverse delights, they’d get down to some barbecue. That, in a nutshell, was The Travelling Wilburys. This is also why Keltner declined the opportunity to become an ordained member. “It was natural for me to say no,” he remarked. While he became deeply involved in everything that followed, he was not at the kitchen table smoking brisket with the musical luminaries.
“Plus you’ve got five icons,” he says. “I may be considered an icon in the drum world, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.” So he made the joke that he was only a Sidebury, and it stuck. “I am a Sidebury.” George laughed. He adored it. But I had to persuade him a little bit. Then they went for it. I said, ‘I’m your first cousin from Sidebury. You know, I was really close to Tom. He appreciated how I did that. He always made a big deal about it during interviews. “That’s how I became Buster Sidebury,” Keltner says.
They’re almost like a myth, too good to be true. Things on this planet don’t happen that way. It’s apparent that the Travelling Wilburys never existed. Or, at the very least, if someone told me right now that I had dreamed them up in a fever dream, I would probably believe them. How could it be true that an era-spanning group of the finest musicians in history simply got together and banged out a bunch of classics?
Fortunately, for sanity’s sake, they’ve sold approximately 10 million copies of their two albums to demonstrate their celebrated existence. While their albums, which peaked third and eleventh in the United States, may not have reached the stratospheric heights of their members at their peak, the band now represents something far greater. In the intervening years, the band’s brotherhood has enhanced the music—the myth and legend of buddies jamming together a few tracks has established itself as a charming window into a different period.
The cheerful nature of the concept goes to the formation of their history as well. In essence, their development was similar to George Harrison creating a group text with his musical collaborators. Fated handled the rest. As Tom Petty famously stated, “None of this would have happened without [George Harrison].” It was always George’s band, and it had been a long-held goal of his.” He gathered a group of friends to participate on his next single, remembered he had left his guitar at Petty’s house, and decided they might as well jam while they were at it. It was so popular among the celebs that a band was formed shortly after.
And the band worked! It was not a case of too many cooks. Bob Dylan’s natural sense of melody supported the songs, George Harrison added his trademark chords, wistful songwriting, and upbeat ways, Jeff Lynne provided production and arrangement wizardry, Roy Orbison had pipes from heaven and solid rock ‘n’ roll sensibilities, and Tom Petty injected the visceral edge of cool youth. However, there is one major ingredient absent from the mix: percussion.
So, who played the drums for The Travelling Wilburys?
That honour went to the legendary Buster Sidebury. Within the Wilburys, each member had an alter persona; George Harrison was known as Nelson Wilbury, Jeffy Lynne as Otis Wilbury, Roy Orbison as Lefty Wilbury, Tom Petty as Charlie T Wilbury Jr, and Dylan as Lucky Wilbury. Buster Sidebury’s tax return includes Jim Keltner’s birth name.
It’s difficult to understand the pressure Keltner had as the session musician called in to play drums on their debut. It nearly appears like it would put even more pressure on Keltner’s shoulders, but for them, it was all a bit of a fun. Fortunately, he was already familiar with Dylan (he had been drumming for the folk singer for 30 years), and, to be honest, he had been chosen and invited by the group’s leader.
George Harrison, 1980s
“That was George completely,” Keltner said of how he got engaged. “George became like a brother. He enjoyed having me around all the time for several reasons. When he was working on something, I would be there. I believe [Harrison’s] album Cloud 9 came before Wilburys. I was in his studio. We dubbed it H.O.T. Studio, Henley-on-Thames, and we were having a great time.”
“Jeff Lynne was working with him on the Cloud 9 record,” he informed Ray Padgett. “Jeff and George had remarkably similar senses of humour. The insane English version of Monty Python humour. The more beers they drank, the sillier they became. We sat around one night. I believe we had just finished recording ‘This Is Love’, my favourite song on the album. They started making up band names just to be amusing. They continued going. Finally, they decided on the Travelling Wilburys. They thought that was just amusing.”
Keltner laughed along without thinking anything about it. He learnt that Harrison was planned to fly away to record ‘Handle With Care’ with his old friend Dylan, and he eagerly anticipated the results, much like everyone else. The next thing he knew, Harrison and Lynne were returning to England with a valuable album from a supergroup and asking him to overdub some drums on the tracks.
How did the Travelling Wilburys write?
Back in the States, the acclaimed clutch had gotten busy at Eurythmics mastermind Dave Stewart’s place. In fact, Stewart claims he would have joined the band if not for an upcoming tour. They’d simply sit around in his kitchen or garden with their acoustics, strum out a new melody, throw around some lyrics (which was easy enough with Dylan present), set off a little drum machine to keep time, and then Harrison, who served as a producer alongside Lynne, would, essentially, audition the members to see whose voice suited the song best.
After that casual cacophony of diverse delights, they’d get down to some barbecue. That, in a nutshell, was The Travelling Wilburys. This is also why Keltner declined the opportunity to become an ordained member. “It was natural for me to say no,” he remarked. While he became deeply involved in everything that followed, he was not at the kitchen table smoking brisket with the musical luminaries.
“Plus you’ve got five icons,” he says. “I may be considered an icon in the drum world, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.” So he made the joke that he was only a Sidebury, and it stuck. “I am a Sidebury.” George laughed. He adored it. But I had to persuade him a little bit. Then they went for it. I said, ‘I’m your first cousin from Sidebury. You know, I was really close to Tom. He appreciated how I did that. He always made a big deal about it during interviews. “That’s how I became Buster Sidebury,” Keltner says.