The Creation of the Hit Song Mr Jones: The Way Counting Crows Developed Their Defining Anthem

Adam Duritz Shares the Beginnings

The initial albums were mostly recorded in houses situated in the hills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album signified a major milestone for the group, 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 drove it to LA.

Every morning, my routine included by listening to a Poco track, which resembles the Beatles exploring American folk. Also, I was into a Benny Goodman album that my dad had picked up as a complimentary item at a gas station during my childhood.

The song Mr Jones was part of a demo tape that we sent to record companies, but it was a challenging song to complete. We didn’t have a solid grasp at first. It’s not a leisurely tune or a straight ahead rock song; instead, it moves with a rhythm, demanding a deep understanding to perform. It’s soul music – closer to the Memphis soul sound than country.

The band’s drummer struggled to grasp the track like the others did – so T Bone brought in one of his idols to perform on it.

We considered several production candidates, but when I spoke with the producer, he really get where the group was headed. We had great potential, but I wasn’t satisfied with our sound – we hadn’t learned how to be a band. We removed all the synthesizers and guitar effects. Our drummer Steve Bowman had trouble with the song’s rhythm, so T Bone invited a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s heroes, to lay down the drums. Looking back, it’s amusing, but it was hard on Steve back then.

My best friend Marty and I performed in bands together before Counting Crows. His father, a flamenco musician, had succeeded in Spain and was back in the San Francisco area performing a series of shows. We went one of his performances and spent the night with the flamenco troupe visiting bars. Next day, I returned and composed Mr Jones. It’s about our experience that night, wishing we were cool musicians so we could connect with the women more easily.

In my view, it’s among the finest pieces I’ve ever written. We performed Round Here on SNL in 1994, the record climbed dozens of positions each week for five or six weeks. Following that, Mr Jones turned into a major success.

David Immerglück Shares His Memories

In the late 1980s, the band members were sharing a space in a warehouse complex in Berkeley. I had been playing with Camper Van Beethoven and had an side project named Monks of Doom.

One evening, Adam had a fresh recording he’d just done with the guitarist. I heard this song titled the now-famous tune. Recorded with a basic drum machine that resembled a arcade sound or popcorn popping, but his singing were exceptional.

After the producer got involved, it was a complete transformation of Counting Crows. They shifted 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 arrived, T Bone had moved us to a studio in LA’s Encino – previously used by a Jackson 5 member. There were guitars that Dylan had recently used.

T Bone instructed me to perform behind the tempo the drums. He said, “If you rush ahead of the drums comes off like an adolescent hurrying.” With his southern accent, and his guidance was to visualize putting your feet up on the mixing board and chewing gum during the performance.

Counting Crows was, in some ways, a response to grunge. The tragic end of Cobain seemed the final act. At the time, everyone were on heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not enlightenment. The nihilism had reached an extreme, and the trend shifted toward something emotional and sincere. Counting Crows combined folk and rock with a strong influence of Van Morrison soul.

Mr Jones remains timeless. Sometimes, when performing with Adam, I recall that time when he played me the early version. Absolutely incredible.