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

The Lead Singer Recalls the Formative Period

The initial albums were primarily recorded in houses situated in the hills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After marked a significant milestone for the band, as it was their inaugural release on a major label. Each member received an advance of $3,000; I used mine to buy a classic red convertible and traveled to LA.

Each day, my routine included by listening to a Poco track, which sounds like the Beatles venturing into country music. Additionally, I frequently played a Benny Goodman album that my dad had acquired as a free giveaway at a gas station during my childhood.

Mr Jones was part of a demo tape that we submitted to labels, but it proved a challenging track to complete. We didn’t have a solid grasp at first. It’s not a slow ballad nor a fast-paced number; instead, it moves with a rhythm, demanding a real feel to play. It’s soul music – closer to the Memphis soul style than country.

Our drummer struggled to grasp the track as the others did – so T Bone brought in one of his heroes to play it.

We considered a few production candidates, but when I discussed things with the producer, he seemed to understand where the group was headed. There was a lot of promise, but I didn’t like with our sound – we were still learning how to be a band. We removed all the synthesizers and effects pedals. The drummer had trouble 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 hard on Steve back then.

Marty Jones and I had played in bands together before Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, a flamenco musician, had succeeded in Spain and was back in the Bay Area doing a series of shows. Attended one of his performances and hung out with the musicians bar-hopping. Next day, I went home and wrote Mr Jones. It’s about me and Marty that evening, wishing we were cool musicians so we could connect with 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 record climbed dozens of positions each week for five or six weeks. Afterwards, the song became a huge hit.

David Immerglück Recalls His Memories

Back in the 80s, the band members were living together in a warehouse complex in Berkeley. I had been playing with another band and was in an side project named Monks of Doom.

One evening, I found Adam with a fresh recording he’d created with Bryson. I heard this song titled Mr Jones. It was done with a basic drum machine that resembled a arcade sound or popcorn popping, but his vocals were on another level.

After the producer took over, it was a complete transformation of Counting Crows. They shifted back to basics influenced by folk and soul legends.

I got a call from Adam saying, “Listen, can you come down 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 instruments that Bob Dylan had just recorded on.

He instructed me to play my guitar behind the tempo the beat. He said, “If you rush ahead of the drums makes you sound like an adolescent hurrying.” He has a Texas drawl, and his guidance was to imagine relaxing on the console and chewing gum during the performance.

The band was, in some ways, a response to the grunge movement. Kurt Cobain’s death seemed the final act. At the time, everyone used heroin. The goal was self-destruction, not mind expansion. The nihilism had gone too far, and the pendulum swung toward something more human and sincere. Their music combined acoustic and electric with a strong influence of soulful vibes.

The song remains timeless. On stage, when I am rocking out with the singer, I remember that moment when he first shared the early version. Absolutely incredible.