The Story of the Hit Song Mr Jones: The Way Counting Crows Produced Their Iconic Song
Adam Duritz Shares the Beginnings
Our first albums were primarily produced in homes situated in the hills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After signified a significant milestone for the band, as it was their inaugural release on a major label. We each received an upfront payment of $3,000; with it, I to buy a classic red convertible and drove it to LA.
Each day, I would start by playing a Poco track, which resembles the Beatles exploring country music. Additionally, I was into a Benny Goodman album that my dad had acquired as a complimentary item at a Texaco station during my childhood.
Mr Jones was included on a demo tape that we submitted to record companies, but it was a challenging track to finish. It lacked a solid grasp at first. It’s not a leisurely tune nor a straight ahead number; instead, it gallops along, requiring a deep understanding to perform. It’s soul music – more akin to the Stax Records style than folk.
Our drummer couldn’t hear the song like the rest of us did – thus T Bone brought in one of his heroes to perform on it.
We looked at several producers, but when I spoke with the producer, he really understand where the group was at. There was great potential, but I wasn’t satisfied with our sound – we hadn’t learned how to be a band. We removed all the synths and guitar effects. Our drummer Steve Bowman couldn’t sync with the tempo, so the producer called in a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s heroes, to lay down the drums. Looking back, it’s amusing, but it was tough on Steve back then.
Marty Jones and I performed in groups together before Counting Crows. His father, David Serva, had succeeded in Spain and was back in the San Francisco area doing a series of shows. Attended one of his performances and hung out with the musicians visiting bars. The next morning, I went home and wrote the song. The lyrics reflect me and Marty that evening, wishing we were cool musicians so we could connect with the girls more easily.
I believe, it’s among the finest pieces I’ve composed. After playing Round Here on SNL in 1994, the record climbed dozens of positions each week for over a month. Following that, the song became a major success.
David Immerglück Recalls His Perspective
In the late 1980s, the band members were sharing a space in a industrial building in Berkeley. I had been playing with Camper Van Beethoven and was in an side project called Monks of Doom.
Returning home one night, Adam had a fresh recording he’d created with Bryson. He played me this song titled Mr Jones. It was done with a basic drum machine that sounded like a video game or random noise, but his singing were exceptional.
Once T Bone took over, it was a total reinvention of Counting Crows. The approach back to basics echoing Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.
Adam called me asking, “Listen, can you join us and play on this record?” By the time I got there, the producer had relocated us to a recording space in Encino, Los Angeles – formerly used by a Jackson 5 member. There were instruments that Bob Dylan had recently used.
He told me to play my guitar behind the tempo the beat. His words were, “If you rush before the drums makes you sound like an adolescent hurrying.” He has a Texas drawl, and his advice was to visualize relaxing on the mixing board and staying casual while playing.
Counting Crows was, in some ways, a response to grunge. The tragic end of Cobain felt like the culmination. At the time, everyone were on heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not enlightenment. That negativity had gone too far, and the trend shifted toward something more human and sincere. Their music blended acoustic and electric with a heavy dose of Van Morrison soul.
Mr Jones remains timeless. Sometimes, when performing with Adam, I recall that moment when he first shared the early version. Absolutely incredible.
