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

Adam Duritz Remembers the Formative Period

The initial albums were mostly produced 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. We each got an advance of $3,000; I used mine to purchase a classic red convertible and traveled to LA.

Every morning, my routine included by listening to a Poco track, which resembles the Beatles venturing into American folk. Additionally, I was into a jazz record that my dad had acquired as a complimentary item at a Texaco station when I was young.

The song Mr Jones was included on a demo that we submitted to record companies, but it proved a very difficult track to finish. We didn’t have a solid grasp at first. Neither a slow ballad nor a fast-paced number; instead, it moves with a rhythm, demanding a deep understanding to perform. The style is soulful – closer to the Stax Records style than country.

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

We considered several producers, but when I discussed things with T Bone Burnett, he seemed to get where the band was at. There was great potential, but I didn’t like with our sound – we were still learning how to be a band. We removed all the synths and effects pedals. The drummer couldn’t sync with the tempo, so T Bone called in a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s heroes, to lay down the drums. It’s a funny story, but it was hard on Steve back then.

Marty Jones 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 Bay Area performing a series of shows. Attended one of his performances and spent the night with the flamenco troupe visiting bars. Next day, I returned and composed Mr Jones. It’s about our experience that evening, dreaming we were cool musicians so we could talk to the women more easily.

In my view, it’s one of the best songs I’ve composed. We performed Round Here on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the record climbed 40 spots weekly for over a month. Following that, Mr Jones turned into a major success.

The Multi-Instrumentalist Shares His Memories

Back in the 80s, the band members were sharing a space in a industrial building in Berkeley. Previously, I performed with another band and had an side project called Monks of Doom.

Returning home one night, I found Adam with a new demo he’d just done with Bryson. I heard this song titled the now-famous tune. It was done with a Dr Rhythm pocket drum machine that sounded like a arcade sound or random noise, but his vocals were exceptional.

Once T Bone took over, it felt like a complete transformation of Counting Crows. The approach toward roots influenced by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.

Adam called me asking, “Listen, can you join us and contribute to this album?” When I arrived, the producer had relocated 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.

T Bone told me to perform slightly behind the drums. His words were, “If you rush ahead of the drums comes off like an teenager hurrying.” He has a southern accent, and his guidance was to visualize putting your feet up on the console and chewing gum during the performance.

Counting Crows was, in some ways, a reaction to grunge. The tragic end of Cobain felt like the culmination. Back then, many used heroin. The goal was obliteration, not mind expansion. That negativity had reached an extreme, and the trend shifted toward something more human and heartfelt. Their music blended acoustic and electric with a heavy dose of Van Morrison soul.

The song never gets old. Sometimes, when performing with Adam, I remember that moment when he first shared the early version. Absolutely incredible.