The Travelling Wilburys, which also included the late Roy Orbison, produced two albums in 1988 and 1990, with its superstar performers assuming pseudonyms for the occasion.

Petty said they were likely to perform in public this time round. ``It's likely it can happen next year,'' he said. ``If we do it, we should perform like a real group.''

The American said Harrison had completely recovered from throat cancer.

Petty was in London for a series of European concerts to launch his album Echo, his first in five years.