The Story of Mr Jones: The Way Counting Crows Crafted Their Iconic Anthem
The Lead Singer Remembers the Early Days
The initial four records were mostly produced in houses situated in the hills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album marked a major milestone for the group, as it was their inaugural release on a major label. Each member got an upfront payment of $3,000; I used mine to purchase a 1971 cherry red VW Karmann Ghia and drove it to LA.
Each day, I would start by listening to a Poco track, which sounds like the Beatles exploring American folk. Also, I frequently played a jazz record that my father had acquired as a complimentary item at a gas station during my childhood.
The song Mr Jones was part of a demo that we sent to record companies, but it proved a challenging song to complete. We didn’t have a solid grasp at first. Neither a slow ballad nor a fast-paced rock song; rather, it moves with a rhythm, demanding a real feel to perform. It’s soul music – more akin to the Memphis soul sound than folk.
Our drummer struggled to grasp the song as the others did – thus T Bone brought in one of his idols to perform on it.
We looked at several production candidates, but when I spoke with T Bone Burnett, he really get where the band was headed. We had great potential, but I wasn’t satisfied with our sound – we hadn’t learned how to be a band. Eliminated all the synthesizers and effects pedals. Our drummer Steve Bowman couldn’t sync with the tempo, so T Bone called in a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s heroes, to play on it. It’s a funny story, but it was hard on Steve back then.
Marty Jones and I performed in groups together before Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, a flamenco musician, had made it in Spain and was back in the Bay Area performing a series of shows. Attended one of his shows and spent the night with the flamenco troupe bar-hopping. The next morning, I returned and composed the song. It’s about our experience that evening, wishing we were accomplished artists so we could connect with the girls more confidently.
I believe, it’s one of the best songs I’ve composed. After playing another track on SNL in 1994, the record climbed dozens of positions weekly for over a month. Afterwards, the song turned into a major success.
David Immerglück Shares His Perspective
In the late 1980s, the band members were sharing a space in a warehouse complex in Berkeley. I had been playing with another band and had an side project called Monks of Doom.
One evening, Adam had a fresh recording he’d just done with the guitarist. I heard this track titled Mr Jones. It was done with a Dr Rhythm pocket drum machine that sounded like a arcade sound or random noise, but his vocals were on another level.
After the producer took over, it was a total reinvention of Counting Crows. The approach toward roots influenced by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.
Adam called me saying, “Hey, man, can you come down and contribute to this album?” When I got there, T Bone had moved us to a studio in LA’s Encino – formerly used by Tito Jackson. There were guitars that Bob Dylan had recently used.
He instructed me to play my guitar behind the tempo the drums. His words were, “Playing too fast before the drums makes you sound like an adolescent rushing.” With his southern accent, and his advice was to imagine relaxing on the mixing board and staying casual while playing.
Counting Crows was, in some ways, a response to the grunge movement. The tragic end of Cobain seemed the final act. At the time, many were on heroin. The aim was obliteration, not enlightenment. The nihilism had gone too far, and the trend shifted toward something emotional and heartfelt. Their music blended acoustic and electric with a strong influence of soulful vibes.
The song never gets old. On stage, when performing with Adam, I recall that moment when he played me the early version. It’s insane.