The Creation of the Hit Song Mr Jones: The Way Counting Crows Produced Their Signature Anthem

The Lead Singer Shares the Beginnings

The initial four records were mostly recorded in homes located in the foothills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After signified a significant milestone for the band, as it was their first release on a major label. We each received an upfront payment of $3,000; with it, I to buy a classic red convertible and traveled to LA.

Each day, my routine included by listening to a Poco track, which resembles the Beatles exploring American folk. Also, I frequently played a Benny Goodman album that my father had picked up as a complimentary item at a Texaco station when I was young.

Mr Jones was part of a demo that we submitted to labels, but it proved a very difficult track to finish. It lacked a clear direction at first. Neither a slow ballad nor a fast-paced rock song; instead, it gallops along, demanding a deep understanding to play. It’s soul music – closer to the Memphis soul style than folk.

The band’s drummer couldn’t hear the track like the others did – thus the producer enlisted one of his heroes to play it.

We looked at several producers, but when I spoke with the producer, he seemed to get where the band was headed. There was a lot of promise, but I didn’t like with our overall tone – we hadn’t learned how to be a band. Eliminated all the synthesizers and guitar effects. The drummer had trouble with the tempo, so the producer invited a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s favorites, to lay down the drums. It’s a funny story, but it was tough on Steve at the time.

My best friend Marty and I performed in groups together prior to Counting Crows. His father, a flamenco musician, 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 flamenco troupe visiting bars. The next morning, I returned and wrote Mr Jones. The lyrics reflect our experience that night, dreaming we were cool musicians so we could connect with the women more easily.

In my view, it’s among the finest songs I’ve composed. After playing another track on SNL in 1994, the record climbed dozens of positions each week for five or six weeks. Afterwards, Mr Jones turned into a huge hit.

The Multi-Instrumentalist Shares His Perspective

In the late 1980s, Adam, David Bryson, and I were sharing a space in a industrial building in Berkeley. Previously, I performed with Camper Van Beethoven and had an offshoot band called Monks of Doom.

Returning home one night, I found Adam with a new demo he’d created with Bryson. I heard this track titled Mr Jones. Recorded with a basic drum machine that sounded like a video game or random noise, but his vocals were exceptional.

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

I got a call from Adam asking, “Hey, man, can you join us and play on this album?” When I got there, T Bone had moved us to a recording space in LA’s Encino – formerly used by a Jackson 5 member. There were guitars that Dylan had just recorded on.

He instructed me to play my guitar behind the tempo the drums. His words were, “If you rush ahead of the drums makes you sound like an teenager hurrying.” With his Texas drawl, and his advice was to visualize putting your feet up on the mixing board and chewing gum while playing.

Counting Crows was, in some ways, a response to grunge. The tragic end of Cobain seemed the final act. Back then, many used heroin. The goal was self-destruction, not enlightenment. The nihilism had gone too far, and the pendulum swung toward something emotional and sincere. Counting Crows blended folk and rock with a heavy dose of Van Morrison soul.

Mr Jones never gets old. On stage, when I am rocking out with the singer, I recall that time when he first shared the demo. Absolutely incredible.