The Creation of Mr Jones: The Way Counting Crows Crafted Their Iconic Anthem

Adam Duritz Remembers the Early Days

Our first albums were mostly produced in homes located in the hills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After marked a significant milestone for the band, as it was their first release on a large record company. We each got an advance of $3,000; I used mine to buy a 1971 cherry red VW Karmann Ghia and drove it to LA.

Every morning, I would start by playing a Poco track, which resembles the Beatles venturing into American folk. Additionally, I was into a Benny Goodman album that my dad 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 was a very difficult song to finish. It lacked a solid grasp at first. Neither a leisurely tune or a fast-paced number; rather, it moves with a rhythm, demanding a deep understanding to play. The style is soulful – more akin to the Stax Records sound than folk.

The band’s drummer struggled to grasp the track like the others did – thus the producer brought in one of his heroes to perform on it.

We considered several producers, but when I spoke with the producer, he seemed to get where the group was headed. We had a lot of promise, but I didn’t like with our sound – we hadn’t learned how to be a band. Eliminated all the synthesizers and effects pedals. The drummer had trouble with the tempo, so the producer invited a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s favorites, to play on it. Looking back, it’s amusing, but it was hard on Steve back then.

Marty Jones and I performed in bands together before Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, 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 flamenco troupe bar-hopping. The next morning, I went home and wrote the song. The lyrics reflect me and Marty that night, dreaming we were accomplished artists so we could talk to the women more easily.

In my view, it’s among the finest pieces I’ve composed. We performed another track on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the album climbed 40 spots each week for five or six weeks. Following that, the song turned into a huge hit.

The Multi-Instrumentalist Shares His Memories

Back in the 80s, Adam, David Bryson, and I were sharing a space in a warehouse complex in Berkeley. I had been playing with Camper Van Beethoven and was in an side project named Monks of Doom.

Returning home one night, I found Adam with a fresh recording he’d created with the guitarist. He played me this track titled the now-famous tune. Recorded with a basic drum machine that resembled a arcade sound or popcorn popping, but his vocals were exceptional.

After the producer took over, it was a complete transformation of Counting Crows. They shifted toward roots influenced by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.

Adam called me asking, “Hey, man, can you join us and play on this album?” When I got there, the producer had relocated us to a recording space in LA’s Encino – previously used by Tito Jackson. Inside, we found guitars that Dylan had just recorded on.

He told me to play my guitar slightly behind the beat. He said, “Playing too fast ahead of the drums comes off like an teenager rushing.” With his Texas drawl, and his guidance was to visualize relaxing on the mixing board and chewing gum during the performance.

The band was, to an extent, a reaction to the grunge movement. The tragic end of Cobain felt like the final act. At the time, everyone were on heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not mind expansion. That negativity had reached an extreme, and the pendulum swung toward something more human and sincere. Their music combined folk and rock with a heavy dose of soulful vibes.

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