The Creation of the Hit Song Mr Jones: How Counting Crows Crafted Their Signature Song

The Lead Singer Recalls the Beginnings

The initial albums were mostly produced in houses located in the foothills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album marked a major step for the group, as it was their inaugural release on a major label. We each received an advance of $3,000; with it, I to buy a classic red convertible and drove it to LA.

Each day, my routine included by playing a Poco track, which sounds like the Beatles exploring country music. Also, I was into a jazz record that my dad had acquired as a free giveaway at a Texaco station during my childhood.

The song Mr Jones was included on a demo tape that we sent to record companies, but it was a very difficult track to complete. It lacked a clear direction at first. It’s not a leisurely tune or a fast-paced number; rather, it moves with a rhythm, demanding a real feel to play. It’s soul music – closer to the Stax Records style than country.

The band’s drummer couldn’t hear the song like the rest of us did – so T Bone enlisted one of his idols to play it.

We looked at several production candidates, but when I spoke with the producer, he really get where the band was headed. There was great potential, but I wasn’t satisfied with our sound – we hadn’t learned how to be a band. Eliminated all the synthesizers and guitar effects. The drummer couldn’t sync with the tempo, 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 at the time.

My best friend Marty and I performed in groups together prior to Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, a flamenco musician, had succeeded in Spain and was back in the San Francisco area performing a series of shows. We went one of his shows and hung out with the musicians visiting bars. The next morning, I returned and composed Mr Jones. The lyrics reflect our experience that evening, dreaming we were cool musicians so we could connect with the girls more easily.

I believe, it’s among the finest pieces I’ve ever written. After playing Round Here on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the album jumped dozens of positions each week for five or six weeks. Afterwards, the song turned into a huge hit.

The Multi-Instrumentalist Recalls His Memories

In the late 1980s, Adam, David Bryson, and I were sharing a space in a warehouse complex in Berkeley. Previously, I performed with Camper Van Beethoven and had an side project called Monks of Doom.

Returning home one night, Adam had a new demo he’d created with the guitarist. I heard this track titled the now-famous tune. Recorded with a Dr Rhythm pocket drum machine that sounded like a arcade sound or random noise, but his singing were on another level.

After the producer took over, it felt like a total reinvention of Counting Crows. They shifted toward roots influenced by folk and soul legends.

I got a call from Adam saying, “Hey, man, can you join us and contribute to this record?” By the time I got there, T Bone had relocated us to a recording space in LA’s Encino – formerly used by Tito Jackson. There were instruments that Dylan had just recorded on.

T Bone instructed me to play my guitar slightly behind the beat. His words were, “If you rush ahead of the drums comes off like an adolescent hurrying.” With his southern accent, and his advice was to imagine putting your feet up on the mixing board and chewing gum while playing.

The band was, in some ways, a reaction 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 heartfelt. Counting Crows blended acoustic and electric with a strong influence of soulful vibes.

The song never gets old. Sometimes, when I am rocking out with Adam, I recall that time when he first shared the early version. Absolutely incredible.