The Story of Mr Jones: The Way Counting Crows Crafted Their Iconic Anthem

Adam Duritz Recalls the Early Days

The initial albums were primarily recorded in houses located in the foothills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After marked a significant milestone for the band, as it was their first release on a large record company. We each received an advance of $3,000; I used mine to purchase a 1971 cherry red VW Karmann Ghia and traveled to LA.

Every morning, my routine included by playing a Poco track, which resembles the Beatles exploring country music. Also, I frequently played a jazz record that my dad had acquired as a free giveaway at a gas station when I was young.

Mr Jones was part of a demo tape that we sent to labels, but it was a challenging song to finish. It lacked a clear direction at first. It’s not a leisurely tune or a fast-paced rock song; rather, it moves with a rhythm, requiring a deep understanding to play. The style is soulful – closer to the Memphis soul sound than folk.

Our drummer couldn’t hear the song like the others did – thus the producer brought in one of his heroes to perform on it.

We considered several production candidates, but when I spoke with T Bone Burnett, he seemed to understand where the group was headed. We had a lot of promise, but I didn’t like with our overall tone – we were still learning how to be a band. We removed all the synths and guitar effects. Our drummer Steve Bowman had trouble with the tempo, so the producer called in a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s favorites, to lay down the drums. It’s a funny story, but it was tough on Steve at the time.

Marty Jones and I performed in bands together before Counting Crows. His father, David Serva, had made it in Spain and was returning in the San Francisco area performing a series of shows. Attended one of his shows and hung out with the musicians bar-hopping. Next day, I went home and wrote Mr Jones. It’s about me and Marty that evening, wishing we were cool musicians so we could connect with the girls more easily.

In my view, it’s among the finest pieces I’ve ever written. After playing Round Here on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the album jumped 40 spots weekly for over a month. Following that, Mr Jones turned into a huge hit.

David Immerglück Recalls His Memories

In the late 1980s, the band members were living together in a warehouse complex in Berkeley. I had been playing with Camper Van Beethoven and had an offshoot band called Monks of Doom.

One evening, I found Adam with a fresh recording he’d created with the guitarist. He played me this song titled Mr Jones. It was done with a Dr Rhythm pocket drum machine that sounded like a arcade sound or popcorn popping, but his vocals were on another level.

After the producer took over, it was a total reinvention of Counting Crows. The approach toward roots influenced by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.

Adam called me saying, “Listen, can you join us and contribute to this record?” By the time I arrived, the producer had moved us to a studio in Encino, Los Angeles – previously used by Tito Jackson. Inside, we found instruments that Bob Dylan had just recorded on.

He instructed me to play my guitar slightly behind the beat. He said, “Playing too fast before the drums comes off like an teenager hurrying.” With his Texas drawl, and his guidance was to imagine relaxing on the mixing board and staying casual during the performance.

The band was, in some ways, a response to the grunge movement. The tragic end of Cobain seemed the final act. Back then, everyone were on heroin. The goal was self-destruction, not enlightenment. The nihilism had reached an extreme, and the trend shifted toward something emotional and sincere. Counting Crows blended acoustic and electric with a strong influence of soulful vibes.

The song remains timeless. On stage, when I am rocking out with Adam, I remember that time when he played me the demo. It’s insane.