The Big O in Britain Page #5

My wife and kiddies had been to see U2,

and told me about them. I hadn't heard them or seen them.

I went to one of their concerts in London when I was there

with fresh ears and...

I wasn't expecting anything. I just went with an open mind.

He said in his very quiet voice, "Really liked the show. Can't tell you why I liked it, but I did.

"You wouldn't have a song for me? Or shall we write a song together? I'm just into what you're doing."

So everyone's falling round. No one could quite believe their ears.

And I played him there and then this song, She's A Mystery To Me.

In 1988, Roy was working on his album Mystery Girl with producer Jeff Lynne,

who had also worked with George Harrison. During long hours in the studio, George and Jeff often talked

about the line-up of their dream group. As Lefty Wilbury, Roy Orbison was about to become

the ultimate musician's musician.

When George and Jeff were in the studio working together

they sometimes had this thing, "We could have a band."

George would say, "We should have a group." I'd go, "Yeah, that'd be good. Let's have a group."

And it was, literally, "Who do you want in it?" I said, "I'd love Roy Orbison."

He said, "I want Bob Dylan in it." And it was just like that, like a pair of schoolkids.

It wasn't a contrived thing that happened. They weren't out to make a band.

It just happened. One event led to another.

I was working with Tom at the time and George knew Tom by then.

We said, "Let's have Tom!" All that remained was for George to ask them to be in it.

They all did. The one we had to convince last was Roy.

We went to see Roy in concert out in Anaheim somewhere. We all piled in a car.

# Don't relax I want elbows and backs I wanna see everybody from behind

# Cos you're working for the man... #

It was a brilliant show. All the people were going mad.

We were all going mad. Like, "Yeah! Give it some!"

And George was so keen. It was exciting. It was the first time I'd ever seen Roy perform.

We went back and George said to him, "Do you wanna be in our group?"

It was kinda like a proposal. I think George even got down on his knee!

And he sort of went, "Yeah, I suppose. I suppose so. Yeah."

And he offered to join there and then. So he was in the Traveling Wilburys then,

from that moment.

# Reputation's changeable

# Situation's tolerable

# But, baby, you're adorable

# Handle me with care

# I'm so tired of being lonely

# I still have some love to give

# Won't you show me that you really care?

# Everybody's got somebody to lean on... #

Sometimes we sing the same song just to see who sounded good. That was a lot of fun.

And George would kind of audition us, which was really intimidating

because Roy Orbison would sing the song and then they'd send you out to sing it.

Damn! That's really intimidating.

# Last night

# Thinking 'bout last night... #

They had a lot of fun, but they didn't goof around. It wasn't just one big party.

They were working.

There wasn't a lot of deciding what to do, not a lot of time spent planning out anything.

We just wrote the best songs we could write and sang them as best we could.

- She was long and tall.

- Or short and fat.

- She was dressed to kill. - That's

good. - She was out to give me a thrill.

Whichever way I looked around there was some conspiracy!

'And he was funny. That was the thing George enjoyed about him the most.'

He seemed to be a tragic figure or there was tragedy attached or projected to Roy,

but in reality he was very funny and...

and that was the sort of secret Roy that he loved to be around.

Sometimes Roy would have George and the guys in hysterics.

He loved Monty Python. That was his favourite comedy stuff

and he could do all the sketches on his own.

He had a slightly southern lilt and yet he would recite lines from Monty Python.

He'd break into a sketch of one of Python's routines, playing all the parts,

and end up giggling like a maniac and we'd all start giggling.

# I'm so tired of being lonely... #

He was surrounded by all the friends he really loved

and they really loved him. The basis of the Wilbury record was lots of laughter

and just lots of fun and incredible creativity.

# Every time I look into your lovely eyes... #

And so it came towards '88, Thanksgiving,

and we had all decided that we would go to George and Olivia's house in England

and spend Thanksgiving with them.

# I drift away

# I pray that you... #

Roy and I got stuck in Paris and never made it.

And Roy flew back to America because he had to fulfil two shows he had booked in Boston

and in Ohio. And those shows were like long-time booked.

# Baby... #

And I decided to stay in Europe.

# Every time I hold you I begin to understand... #

The last thing I heard from Roy was a message on my answer phone

saying, "Hey, Jeff, sorry I couldn't see you this trip, but I'm all Wilburied out."

He was really tired from doing all the interviews and he had his own album coming out.

He said, "I'll see you when I get back over in a few weeks."

# No one can do the things you do... #

I got a call one night from Roy that basically said

he had given in to come back to England. George had asked over and over for a second Wilbury video.

And I said, "Are you really sure?"

He said, "When I get off that plane, I know your smiling green eyes will be waiting for me.

"For that I will do anything."

So that was the last time I ever talked with him.

# Pretty ribbons of blue... #

The next thing, there was a phone call, a terrible phone call.

I picked the phone up at 6am.

# Pretty pencils to write... #

The phone call that you always dread getting

was one of those early morning phone calls to say Roy had died.

# Pretty ribbons of blue. #

Roy Orbison, one of the first and greatest rock performers,

has died from a heart attack. He was 52. In his prime, he topped bills above The Beatles

and this year was in the charts again in a supergroup with George Harrison and Bob Dylan.

Roy would have liked us to have continued to do The End of The Line. It's a very optimistic song.

We love Roy and life flows on within you and without you.

He's around, you know, in his astral body.

# Maybe somewhere down the road when somebody plays... # We played it like he was there.

We'd all look at the armchair and there would be Lefty and it was just his guitar.

# Well, it's all right If you got someone to love

# Well, it's all right Everything will work out fine... #

If Roy had been giving you the interview today, and you asked him about his songs,

what was his best song ever, he'd have said, "I haven't written it yet."

# I'm just glad to be here Happy to be alive... #

The artists today that have come along in the last 20 years

probably don't remember the Wilburys in '88 had a number one album.

# It's all right Even if you're old and grey... #

My favourite Roy Orbison song has got to be Crying.

It's something I want to put on

when I'm feeling bad about something, some heartache.

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