The Making of Mr Jones: How Counting Crows Developed Their Signature Anthem

Adam Duritz Shares the Early Days

The initial four records were mostly recorded in homes located in the hills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After marked a significant step for the group, as it was their inaugural release on a large record company. We each received an upfront payment of $3,000; with it, I to purchase a classic red convertible and traveled to LA.

Each day, I would start by playing a Poco track, which resembles the Beatles venturing into American folk. Additionally, I frequently played a jazz record that my father had picked up as a free giveaway at a gas station when I was young.

Mr Jones was included on a demo tape that we submitted to record companies, but it proved a challenging song to complete. It lacked a solid grasp at first. It’s not a leisurely tune nor a straight ahead rock song; rather, it moves with a rhythm, demanding a deep understanding to perform. The style is soulful – more akin to the Stax Records style than country.

Our drummer couldn’t hear the track like the others did – so T Bone enlisted one of his heroes to perform on it.

We looked at a few producers, but when I spoke with the producer, he seemed to get where the group was headed. There was a lot of promise, but I didn’t like with our sound – we hadn’t learned how to work together. We removed all the synthesizers and effects pedals. Our drummer Steve Bowman had trouble with the tempo, so T Bone called in Denny Fongheiser, one of Steve’s favorites, to play on it. Looking back, it’s amusing, but it was tough on Steve at the time.

My best friend Marty and I performed in bands together prior to Counting Crows. His father, a flamenco musician, had succeeded in Spain and was back in the San Francisco area doing a series of shows. Attended one of his shows and spent the night with the musicians visiting bars. The next morning, I went home and composed the song. The lyrics reflect me and Marty that night, dreaming we were accomplished artists so we could connect with the girls more confidently.

I believe, it’s among the finest pieces I’ve ever written. We performed Round Here on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the album jumped dozens of positions each week for over a month. Afterwards, Mr Jones became a huge hit.

The Multi-Instrumentalist Recalls His Memories

Back in the 80s, Adam, David Bryson, and I were sharing a space in a warehouse complex in Berkeley. Previously, I performed with Camper Van Beethoven and had an offshoot band called Monks of Doom.

One evening, I found Adam with a fresh recording he’d just done with the guitarist. He played me this song called the now-famous tune. It was done with a Dr Rhythm pocket drum machine that sounded like a arcade sound or random noise, but his singing were exceptional.

Once T Bone took over, it felt like a total reinvention of Counting Crows. They shifted back to basics echoing Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.

I got a call from Adam asking, “Listen, can you come down and contribute to this record?” By the time I arrived, the producer had relocated us to a studio in Encino, Los Angeles – previously used by a Jackson 5 member. There were guitars that Dylan had recently used.

He instructed me to play my guitar slightly behind the beat. His words were, “Playing too fast before the drums makes you sound like an teenager rushing.” With his Texas drawl, and his advice was to visualize relaxing on the mixing board and staying casual during the performance.

Counting Crows was, to an extent, a reaction to the grunge movement. Kurt Cobain’s death felt like the final act. Back then, everyone were on heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not enlightenment. The nihilism had gone too far, and the pendulum swung toward something emotional and heartfelt. 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 remember that time when he first shared the early version. Absolutely incredible.