The Making of Mr Jones: The Way Counting Crows Crafted Their Iconic Song

Adam Duritz Recalls the Formative Period

The initial albums were primarily recorded in houses situated in the hills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album marked a major milestone for the band, as it was their inaugural release on a large record company. We each received an upfront payment of $3,000; with it, I to buy a classic red convertible and drove it to LA.

Each day, I would start by playing Pickin’ Up the Pieces by Poco, which sounds like the Beatles venturing into American folk. Also, I frequently played a jazz record that my father had picked up as a complimentary item at a gas station during my childhood.

The song Mr Jones was included on a demo tape that we sent to labels, but it proved a challenging track to complete. We didn’t have a solid grasp at first. Neither a leisurely tune nor a straight ahead number; instead, it moves with a rhythm, demanding a real feel to play. It’s soul music – more akin to the Memphis soul style than country.

The band’s drummer struggled to grasp the track like the others did – so the producer enlisted one of his idols to play it.

We considered several producers, but when I discussed things with the producer, he seemed to understand where the group was headed. We had a lot of promise, but I wasn’t satisfied with our overall tone – we were still learning how to be a band. Eliminated all the synths and effects pedals. Our drummer Steve Bowman had trouble with the song’s rhythm, so the producer invited Denny Fongheiser, one of Steve’s favorites, to play on it. Looking back, it’s amusing, but it was tough on Steve back then.

Marty Jones and I had played in bands together prior to Counting Crows. His father, a flamenco musician, had made it in Spain and was returning in the San Francisco area performing a tour. We went one of his shows and hung out with the musicians bar-hopping. The next morning, I returned and wrote Mr Jones. The lyrics reflect our experience that night, wishing we were accomplished artists so we could talk to the women more easily.

I believe, it’s among the finest songs I’ve composed. We performed another track on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the record jumped 40 spots weekly for over a month. Following that, Mr Jones turned into a huge hit.

The Multi-Instrumentalist Recalls His Memories

Back in the 80s, Adam, David Bryson, and I were sharing a space in a industrial building in Berkeley. Previously, I performed with another band and had an side project called Monks of Doom.

Returning home one night, Adam had a fresh recording he’d just done with the guitarist. He played me this track called Mr Jones. Recorded with a basic drum machine that sounded like a video game or random noise, but his vocals were on another level.

Once T Bone got involved, it was a total reinvention of Counting Crows. The approach toward roots influenced by folk and soul legends.

Adam called me asking, “Listen, can you join us and contribute to this album?” When I arrived, T Bone had relocated us to a recording space in LA’s Encino – formerly used by a Jackson 5 member. Inside, we found instruments that Dylan had just recorded on.

T Bone told me to perform behind the tempo the drums. He said, “If you rush before the drums makes you sound like an teenager hurrying.” With his Texas drawl, and his advice was to imagine putting your feet up on the console and chewing gum while playing.

Counting Crows was, in some ways, a response to grunge. Kurt Cobain’s death seemed the culmination. At the time, many were on heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not enlightenment. That negativity had reached an extreme, and the pendulum swung toward something more human and heartfelt. Counting Crows combined folk and rock with a strong influence of Van Morrison soul.

Mr Jones never gets old. On stage, when performing with Adam, I remember that time when he played me the early version. It’s insane.