The Creation of Mr Jones: The Way Counting Crows Developed Their Iconic Song
Adam Duritz Shares the Early Days
The initial albums were primarily produced in houses located in the hills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album signified a significant milestone for the band, as it was their inaugural release on a large record company. We each got an advance of $3,000; with it, I to purchase a 1971 cherry red VW Karmann Ghia and drove it to LA.
Each day, my routine included by listening to a Poco track, which resembles the Beatles venturing into country music. Additionally, I frequently played a jazz record that my dad had acquired as a complimentary item at a gas station during my childhood.
Mr Jones was included on a demo tape that we submitted to record companies, but it proved a challenging track to complete. It lacked 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 – closer to the Stax Records sound than country.
The band’s drummer struggled to grasp the track like the others did – so the producer brought in one of his idols to play it.
We considered several producers, but when I discussed things with T Bone Burnett, he really understand where the band was headed. We had a lot of promise, but I wasn’t satisfied with our overall tone – we hadn’t learned how to work together. Eliminated all the synthesizers and guitar effects. Our drummer Steve Bowman couldn’t sync with the tempo, so T Bone invited Denny Fongheiser, one of Steve’s favorites, to play on it. It’s a funny story, but it was tough on Steve back then.
Marty Jones and I had played in groups together before Counting Crows. His father, David Serva, had made it in Spain and was back in the San Francisco area doing a tour. Attended one of his performances and spent the night with the musicians bar-hopping. The next morning, I returned and composed the song. It’s about me and Marty that night, wishing we were accomplished artists so we could connect with the women more easily.
I believe, it’s one of the best pieces I’ve composed. We performed Round Here on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the album climbed 40 spots weekly for five or six weeks. Afterwards, Mr Jones became a major success.
The Multi-Instrumentalist Recalls His Perspective
Back in the 80s, the band members were sharing a space in a industrial building in Berkeley. Previously, I performed with Camper Van Beethoven and was in an offshoot band called Monks of Doom.
One evening, 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 resembled a arcade sound or popcorn popping, but his singing were exceptional.
Once T Bone took over, it was a total reinvention of Counting Crows. They shifted toward roots echoing Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.
I got a call from Adam saying, “Hey, man, can you join us and play on this record?” When I got there, the producer had relocated us to a studio in LA’s Encino – previously used by Tito Jackson. Inside, we found instruments that Bob Dylan had just recorded on.
He instructed me to perform behind the tempo the beat. His words were, “Playing too fast ahead of the drums comes off like an adolescent hurrying.” With his southern accent, and his guidance was to imagine relaxing on the mixing board and chewing gum while playing.
The band was, in some ways, a response to the grunge movement. Kurt Cobain’s death seemed the culmination. At the time, many used heroin. The goal was self-destruction, not mind expansion. That negativity had reached an extreme, and the pendulum swung toward something emotional and sincere. Their music blended folk and rock with a strong influence of soulful vibes.
Mr Jones remains timeless. On stage, when performing with the singer, I recall that moment when he played me the demo. Absolutely incredible.
