The Story of Mr Jones: The Way Counting Crows Produced Their Iconic Track

Adam Duritz Shares the Beginnings

The initial albums were primarily produced in homes situated in the hills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album signified a significant step for the band, as it was their first release on a large record company. Each member got an advance of $3,000; I used mine to purchase a 1971 cherry red VW Karmann Ghia and drove it to LA.

Each day, my routine included by listening to a Poco track, which sounds like the Beatles venturing into American folk. Also, I frequently played a Benny Goodman album that my father had acquired as a free giveaway at a Texaco station when I was young.

Mr Jones was part of a demo that we sent to record companies, but it proved a challenging track to complete. It lacked a clear direction at first. It’s not a leisurely tune nor a straight ahead rock song; rather, it gallops along, demanding a deep understanding to play. It’s soul music – closer to the Stax Records sound than folk.

The band’s drummer struggled to grasp the track as the rest of us did – thus the producer brought in one of his heroes to play it.

We considered several producers, but when I spoke with the producer, he really understand where the group was headed. There was great potential, but I didn’t like with our overall tone – we were still learning how to work together. Eliminated all the synthesizers and guitar effects. The drummer 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 hard on Steve back then.

My best friend Marty and I performed in bands together before Counting Crows. His father, a flamenco musician, had made it in Spain and was back in the Bay Area performing a tour. Attended one of his shows and spent the night with the flamenco troupe visiting bars. Next day, I returned and composed the song. The lyrics reflect me and Marty that night, dreaming we were cool musicians so we could talk to the women more easily.

I believe, it’s among the finest pieces I’ve ever written. After playing another track on SNL in 1994, the album jumped 40 spots each week for five or six weeks. Afterwards, the song became a huge hit.

David Immerglück Recalls His Memories

In the late 1980s, the band members were living together in a industrial building in Berkeley. I had been playing with another band and was in an offshoot band named Monks of Doom.

One evening, Adam had a new demo he’d created with Bryson. I heard this song called the now-famous tune. It was done with a Dr Rhythm pocket drum machine that resembled a arcade sound or random noise, but his singing were on another level.

After the producer got involved, it was a total reinvention of Counting Crows. The approach toward roots echoing Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.

I got a call from Adam asking, “Listen, can you join us and play on this album?” When I arrived, T Bone had moved us to a recording space in Encino, Los Angeles – formerly used by a Jackson 5 member. There were guitars that Bob Dylan had recently used.

He told me to play my guitar behind the tempo the drums. He said, “Playing too fast ahead of the drums makes you sound like an teenager hurrying.” He has a southern accent, and his guidance was to imagine relaxing on the mixing board and chewing gum while playing.

The band was, in some ways, a response to the grunge movement. The tragic end of Cobain seemed the culmination. At the time, many were on heroin. The goal was obliteration, not enlightenment. That negativity had gone too far, and the pendulum swung toward something emotional and sincere. Their music blended acoustic and electric with a heavy dose of soulful vibes.

Mr Jones never gets old. On stage, when I am rocking out with the singer, I recall that time when he played me the early version. Absolutely incredible.