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

Adam Duritz Recalls the Beginnings

Our first albums were primarily produced in houses located in the hills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album signified a major milestone for the band, as it was their first release on a major label. We each got an advance of $3,000; with it, I to purchase a classic red convertible and traveled to LA.

Every morning, my routine included by listening to Pickin’ Up the Pieces by Poco, which resembles the Beatles venturing into American folk. Additionally, I was into a Benny Goodman album that my father had picked up as a complimentary item at a gas station when I was young.

The song Mr Jones was part of a demo tape that we submitted to labels, but it was a very difficult track to complete. It lacked a solid grasp at first. It’s not a slow ballad nor a straight ahead rock song; rather, it gallops along, requiring a real feel to perform. It’s soul music – more akin to the Memphis soul sound than folk.

The band’s drummer struggled to grasp the track as the others did – thus T Bone enlisted one of his heroes to play it.

We considered several production candidates, but when I spoke with T Bone Burnett, he seemed to understand where the band was headed. There was a lot of promise, but I didn’t like with our sound – we hadn’t learned how to be a band. Eliminated all the synths and guitar effects. Our drummer Steve Bowman couldn’t sync with the tempo, so the producer invited a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s heroes, to play on it. Looking back, it’s amusing, but it was tough on Steve at the time.

My best friend Marty and I had played in groups together before Counting Crows. His father, a flamenco musician, had succeeded in Spain and was returning in the Bay Area performing a tour. Attended one of his shows and spent the night with the musicians visiting bars. Next day, I went home and composed the song. The lyrics reflect me and Marty that evening, wishing we were accomplished artists so we could connect with the girls more confidently.

I believe, it’s one of the best pieces I’ve ever written. After playing another track on SNL in 1994, the album climbed 40 spots each week for over a month. Afterwards, the song became a huge hit.

David Immerglück Recalls His Memories

Back in the 80s, the band members were sharing a space in a warehouse complex 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. I heard this track titled the now-famous tune. It was done with a basic drum machine that resembled a video game or popcorn popping, but his singing were exceptional.

Once T Bone took over, it was a total reinvention of Counting Crows. They shifted back to basics echoing folk and soul legends.

I got a call from Adam asking, “Hey, man, can you come down and play on this record?” By the time I arrived, T Bone had relocated us to a recording space in LA’s Encino – previously used by Tito Jackson. There were instruments that Dylan had just recorded on.

He instructed me to play my guitar slightly behind the drums. His words were, “Playing too fast before the drums comes off like an teenager hurrying.” He has a Texas drawl, and his advice was to visualize putting your feet up on the mixing board and staying casual during the performance.

Counting Crows was, to an extent, a reaction to grunge. The tragic end of Cobain felt like the culmination. At the time, many were on heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not enlightenment. That negativity had reached an extreme, and the trend shifted toward something emotional and sincere. Counting Crows blended folk and rock with a heavy dose of Van Morrison soul.

The song never gets old. On stage, when performing with the singer, I remember that time when he played me the early version. Absolutely incredible.