Lately, we've been prying pages loose from the smelly old CREEM vault and giving them a read-over before presenting them here on CREEM Magazine dot com. What we put up is nearly random, sort of like the security checks at the airport, but that's another issue... Point is, as we re-read some of these we realize that the English language has changed quite a bit (even here in America!) since the dawn of time when many of them were written. Now, we're not in the business of re-writing anything, but why not fix a stray comma or amend a dangling participle (yeah, I got your dangling...). So, we may choose to embellish a piece here and there if it helps the article along in today's context, though we will not be making an attempt at re-writing history [Editor's note: that's revisionism, not re-writing].

The photo below was taken by our (then) staff photographer Robert Matheu backstage at the Palace in Hollywood in February 1987. In January 2001 he was asked to write about how the image came about for the German Beatle fanzine Beatlemania. Of course, they (mis) translated his piece into German. The piece ran in English a year later in a George Harrison issue of Goldmine. Having been translated back into English it was, well, revised would be a polite thing to say about it. Now as a side bar to the George Harrison interview that ran in CREEM in two parts (Dec. 1987 & Jan. 1988), we present this short piece, yet again revised and not in German! Boy Howdy read it and felt it shed some light on how the CREEM interview with George came about, or it's just another excuse to run one of his drinking stories. . .

The infamous group photograph was taken backstage at The Palace in Hollywood in February 1987. Dave Edmunds performed that evening and was joined for the encores by former Stray Cat Brian Setzer. From my vantage point during the encores, I noticed George and Jeff in the balcony to stage left. I pointed them out to my partner in crime for that evening, J.Kordosh, (The very handsome CREEM editor, who I dragged along to the show. This being the first weekend after his relocation to Hollywood, from the Motor City). After the show, the record company was having a meet-and-greet in the theater’s restaurant. But upstairs in the dressing room was the real meet-and-greet, in Dave’s dressing room. I had done album covers for both the Stray Cats and Dave Edmunds at the height of their careers, so we were already great friends. Bob Dylan, I had meet and worked with the year before at Farm Aid Concert and the tour that followed with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I had also met Jeff Lynne when he was with ELO while working for CREEM in Detroit. This would be my first encounter with George Harrison, but not my last.

It was a natural for all these guys to show up together. Dave had produced most of the Stray Cats albums, as well as George’s version of Bob’s song, "I Don’t Want To Do It" for the Porky’s Revenge Soundtrack. Jeff had worked with Dave producing a number of tracks for him including his hit "Slipping Away." George and Jeff had been working with Duane Eddy for his upcoming album. George had also recorded recently with Bob.


Dave had to run off to the record company get together, and left us to our own devices. That would be Cuervo and Coronas! I assimilated in my usual fashion, buying a couple rounds of drinks, while waiting for Dave’s return and my opportunity for a photo. Everyone was ordering Coronas and I asked for a couple of shots for the Cats, Jeff and myself, George overheard and ordered in as well, claiming that he hadn’t had tequila before!? This being Dave’s show, he was the man they all had come to see, so we waited. I took a few photos of George and Jeff, had a couple laughs and discussed the new album they were working on together.

I asked George about doing an interview for the magazine when the album came out, and he replied "I suppose we should," and I gave him my number. Mr. Kordosh on the other hand was off in a corner some
where, discussing "Blonde On Blonde" with Dylan. Later that evening I convinced J. that Self Portrait was indeed Bob’s best work, but I digress.

Dave had returned, and I again imposed on George by asking for assistance with setting up a group photo. "Don’t you think this would make a great band with all these guitar players?" I coerced. George leaned on my shoulder and organized the photo by placing everyone in position before backing into the pose himself, he laughed "You’re right this would make a lovely band, not a bad idea, with all these guys". A few photos went by and I began to wonder who the bearded gentleman between George and Bob may be. For just a moment, I considered asking him to move out of the photo. These all being famous guitar players. Well, he must be someone since George wanted to stand next to him, I thought. When I noticed that Slim Jim had snuck into the photo next to Dave, I gave up the notion. I found out shortly after that it was Duane Eddy, the legendary guitar player who influenced most of these guys to begin with. That was it, more tequila please!

A few months later, I came home one afternoon, checked my answering machine, "This is George... I promised to call... So, I will give your number to Bob Merlis, (at Warner Brothers)... if that’s okay." Subsequently, John Kordosh, Bill Holdship (CREEM Editors) and myself spent a fabulous afternoon chatting with George and taking photos. The tape from the answering machine is long since worn out. "This is George... this is George... this is George..."

Since the photo was taken, I have continued to work with all these greats, and have given all of them copies of the photo. Everyone has a slightly different, if any, take on that night. George didn’t really remember the Tequila and Coronas (although a bottle is clearly pictured in just about everyone’s hand). Brian and Jim didn’t remember Jeff Lynne being there, they were most likely smitten by Duane’s presence. Jeff remembers the Tequila, but not me buying the rounds, he claims he did. Bob remembers the show, but didn’t remember that we took photos backstage.

When I went to Duane’s home in Nashville a couple of years back for a photo session, I gave him a copy and told him that same story. He mentioned that later that night they had gone over to either Jeff’s or Bob’s house, and again George went on about what a great band they’d be.

Although it would still be a couple of months before the Wilburys’ official inception, depending on who you ask... Could've been the tequila and Coronas.

Photos by Robert Matheu