The Story of Mr Jones: How Counting Crows Developed Their Iconic Track
The Lead Singer Recalls the Beginnings
The initial four records were primarily recorded in houses situated in the foothills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album signified a significant step for the group, as it was their first release on a large record company. We each got an upfront payment of $3,000; I used mine to buy a 1971 cherry red VW Karmann Ghia and traveled to LA.
Every morning, my routine included by listening to a Poco track, which resembles the Beatles exploring American folk. Also, I frequently played a jazz record that my father had picked up as a complimentary item at a Texaco station when I was young.
Mr Jones was part of a demo that we sent to record companies, but it was a very difficult track to finish. We didn’t have a solid grasp at first. Neither a leisurely tune nor a straight ahead number; instead, it gallops along, requiring a deep understanding to perform. It’s soul music – closer to the Stax Records style than folk.
The band’s drummer couldn’t hear the song as the others did – thus T Bone brought in one of his heroes to play it.
We considered several producers, but when I spoke with the producer, he really get where the group was at. There was a lot of promise, but I didn’t like with our sound – we were still learning how to be a band. We removed all the synths and effects pedals. The drummer had trouble with the song’s rhythm, so the producer called in a renowned drummer, 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 before Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, a flamenco musician, had made it in Spain and was back in the Bay Area performing a tour. Attended one of his performances and hung out with the musicians bar-hopping. The next morning, I went home and composed Mr Jones. It’s about me and Marty that evening, dreaming we were accomplished artists so we could connect with the girls more confidently.
I believe, it’s among the finest songs I’ve ever written. We performed another track on SNL in 1994, the album climbed dozens of positions weekly for five or six weeks. Afterwards, the song became a huge hit.
David Immerglück Recalls His Memories
Back in the 80s, the band members were living together in a warehouse complex in Berkeley. Previously, I performed with another band and was in an side project called Monks of Doom.
Returning home one night, I found Adam with a fresh recording he’d created with Bryson. He played me this song titled Mr Jones. Recorded with a Dr Rhythm pocket drum machine that sounded like a arcade sound or popcorn popping, but his singing were on another level.
Once T Bone took over, it felt like a complete transformation of Counting Crows. They shifted back to basics influenced by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.
I got a call from Adam asking, “Listen, can you join us and contribute to this record?” By the time I got there, T Bone had moved us to a studio in LA’s Encino – formerly used by a Jackson 5 member. Inside, we found instruments that Dylan had just recorded on.
He instructed me to perform slightly behind the drums. He said, “Playing too fast ahead of the drums comes off like an teenager hurrying.” With his southern accent, and his advice was to imagine relaxing on the console and chewing gum during the performance.
The band was, in some ways, a response to the grunge movement. The tragic end of Cobain seemed the culmination. At the time, many used heroin. The aim was obliteration, not enlightenment. That negativity had reached an extreme, and the trend shifted toward something more human and heartfelt. Counting Crows blended acoustic and electric with a strong influence of Van Morrison soul.
The song remains timeless. Sometimes, when I am rocking out with Adam, I remember that moment when he played me the demo. It’s insane.
