The Making of the Hit Song Mr Jones: The Way Counting Crows Crafted Their Defining Anthem

Adam Duritz Recalls the Formative Period

Our first four records were primarily produced in homes located in the hills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album signified a significant step for the band, as it was their inaugural release on a large record company. Each member got an advance of $3,000; I used mine to buy a classic red convertible and traveled to LA.

Each day, my routine included by playing a Poco track, which sounds like the Beatles venturing into country music. Additionally, I frequently played a jazz record that my father had picked up as a free giveaway at a Texaco station during my childhood.

The song Mr Jones was included on a demo that we sent to labels, but it was a challenging track to finish. It lacked a clear direction at first. It’s not a leisurely tune nor a straight ahead number; instead, it moves with a rhythm, demanding a real feel to perform. It’s soul music – closer to the Memphis soul style than country.

Our drummer couldn’t hear the track as the others did – thus the producer brought in one of his idols to perform on it.

We looked at a few production candidates, but when I discussed things with T Bone Burnett, he seemed to understand where the group was at. There was great potential, but I wasn’t satisfied with our overall tone – we were still learning how to work together. We removed all the synths and effects pedals. Our drummer Steve Bowman couldn’t sync with the tempo, so T Bone called in Denny Fongheiser, one of Steve’s heroes, to lay down the drums. Looking back, it’s amusing, but it was tough on Steve at the time.

My best friend Marty and I had played in groups together before Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, David Serva, 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 musicians bar-hopping. The next morning, I went home and composed the song. It’s about me and Marty that night, wishing we were cool musicians so we could connect with the women more easily.

I believe, it’s one of the best songs I’ve composed. We performed Round Here on SNL in 1994, the album jumped dozens of positions each week for five or six weeks. Following that, Mr Jones became a major success.

The Multi-Instrumentalist Shares His Perspective

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

Returning home one night, Adam had a new demo he’d created with the guitarist. He played me this song called Mr Jones. It was done with a basic drum machine that resembled a video game or popcorn popping, but his singing were on another level.

Once T Bone got involved, it felt like a total reinvention of Counting Crows. They shifted back to basics echoing Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.

I got a call from Adam saying, “Listen, can you join us and play on this album?” When I arrived, the producer had moved us to a studio in Encino, Los Angeles – formerly used by Tito Jackson. Inside, we found guitars that Dylan had recently used.

He told me to play my guitar behind the tempo the drums. His words were, “Playing too fast before the drums comes off like an adolescent hurrying.” He has a Texas drawl, and his advice was to imagine putting your feet up on the mixing board and staying casual while playing.

The band was, to an extent, a reaction to the grunge movement. The tragic end of Cobain felt like the final act. Back then, many used heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not enlightenment. The nihilism had reached an extreme, and the pendulum swung toward something emotional and heartfelt. Counting Crows combined folk and rock with a heavy dose of Van Morrison soul.

Mr Jones never gets old. Sometimes, when performing with Adam, I remember that time when he first shared the demo. It’s insane.