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

The Lead Singer Remembers the Early Days

Our first four records were primarily recorded in homes located in the foothills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After marked a significant step for the band, as it was their first release on a major label. Each member received an advance of $3,000; with it, I to buy 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 American folk. Additionally, I frequently played a Benny Goodman album that my dad had picked up as a complimentary item at a Texaco station when I was young.

Mr Jones was included on a demo tape that we submitted to labels, but it was a very difficult song to complete. We didn’t have a solid grasp at first. It’s not a slow ballad nor a fast-paced number; rather, it moves with a rhythm, requiring a deep understanding to play. The style is soulful – more akin to the Memphis soul sound than folk.

Our drummer couldn’t hear the track as the rest of us did – so the producer enlisted one of his idols to perform on it.

We looked at several production candidates, but when I discussed things with the producer, he seemed to get where the band was headed. There was great potential, but I didn’t like with our sound – we hadn’t learned how to be a band. We removed all the synthesizers and guitar effects. The drummer had trouble with the song’s rhythm, so the producer invited a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s favorites, to play on it. It’s a funny story, but it was hard on Steve at the time.

My best friend Marty and I performed in bands together prior to Counting Crows. His father, David Serva, had succeeded in Spain and was back in the Bay Area doing a series of shows. Attended one of his performances and spent the night with the flamenco troupe bar-hopping. The next morning, I went home and composed Mr Jones. It’s about our experience that evening, dreaming we were cool musicians so we could talk to the women more confidently.

In my view, it’s among the finest songs I’ve ever written. After playing Round Here on SNL in 1994, the album climbed 40 spots weekly for five or six weeks. Afterwards, the song became a major success.

David Immerglück Shares His Perspective

Back in the 80s, Adam, David Bryson, and I were living together in a warehouse complex in Berkeley. I had been playing with Camper Van Beethoven and was in an offshoot band called Monks of Doom.

One evening, Adam had a new demo he’d just done with Bryson. He played me this song titled the now-famous tune. It was done with a basic drum machine that resembled a video game or random noise, but his singing were on another level.

After the producer took over, it felt like a total reinvention of Counting Crows. The approach back to basics influenced by folk and soul legends.

Adam called me asking, “Listen, can you come down and play on this record?” By the time I arrived, the producer had relocated us to a recording space in Encino, Los Angeles – previously used by a Jackson 5 member. Inside, we found instruments that Dylan had recently used.

T Bone instructed 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 southern accent, and his advice was to imagine putting your feet up on the mixing board and staying casual during the performance.

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 used heroin. The aim was obliteration, not mind expansion. That negativity had gone too far, and the trend shifted toward something more human and heartfelt. Counting Crows combined acoustic and electric with a heavy dose of soulful vibes.

The song never gets old. On stage, when I am rocking out with the singer, I remember that moment when he played me the demo. Absolutely incredible.