The Story of the Hit Song Mr Jones: How Counting Crows Produced Their Iconic Anthem

Adam Duritz Recalls the Beginnings

The initial albums were primarily recorded in houses located in the hills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album signified a significant step for the band, as it was their inaugural release on a major label. 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.

Every morning, my routine included by playing a Poco track, which sounds like the Beatles venturing into country music. Additionally, I was into a jazz record that my dad had acquired as a free giveaway at a Texaco station during my childhood.

Mr Jones was part of a demo tape that we sent to record companies, but it proved a very difficult song to finish. We didn’t have a clear direction at first. Neither a slow ballad nor a fast-paced rock song; instead, it gallops along, requiring a real feel to perform. It’s soul music – closer to the Memphis soul style than folk.

The band’s drummer struggled to grasp the song like the rest of us did – so the producer brought in one of his heroes to play it.

We looked at several producers, but when I discussed things with the producer, he seemed to understand where the band was at. There was a lot of promise, but I wasn’t satisfied with our sound – we hadn’t learned how to work together. Eliminated all the synthesizers and effects pedals. The drummer couldn’t sync with the song’s rhythm, so the producer invited Denny Fongheiser, one of Steve’s heroes, to lay down the drums. It’s a funny story, but it was hard on Steve at the time.

My best friend Marty and I performed in bands together prior to Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, David Serva, had made it in Spain and was returning in the Bay Area performing a series of shows. Attended one of his performances and hung out with the musicians visiting bars. Next day, I returned and wrote Mr Jones. It’s about our experience that night, wishing we were cool musicians so we could connect with the women more easily.

I believe, it’s one of the best pieces I’ve ever written. After playing Round Here on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the album jumped dozens of positions each week for five or six weeks. Following that, the song turned into a huge hit.

The Multi-Instrumentalist Recalls His Memories

In the late 1980s, the band members were sharing a space in a industrial building in Berkeley. Previously, I performed with another band and was in an side project named Monks of Doom.

One evening, Adam had a fresh recording he’d just done with the guitarist. He played me this track called the now-famous tune. Recorded with a basic drum machine that resembled a video game or random noise, but his vocals were exceptional.

Once T Bone took over, it felt like a complete transformation of Counting Crows. The approach toward roots echoing folk and soul legends.

I got a call from Adam saying, “Listen, can you join us and contribute to this album?” When I got there, the producer had relocated us to a recording space in LA’s Encino – formerly used by a Jackson 5 member. There were guitars that Dylan had just recorded on.

He told me to play my guitar behind the tempo the drums. His words were, “If you rush before the drums makes you sound like an adolescent hurrying.” With his southern accent, and his guidance was to visualize relaxing on the mixing board and staying casual during the performance.

The band was, to an extent, a response to grunge. The tragic end of Cobain seemed the culmination. Back then, everyone were on heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not mind expansion. The nihilism had reached an extreme, and the trend shifted toward something emotional and sincere. Their music blended acoustic and electric with a heavy dose of Van Morrison soul.

Mr Jones remains timeless. On stage, when performing with the singer, I recall that time when he played me the demo. It’s insane.