The Creation of Mr Jones: The Way Counting Crows Crafted Their Iconic Track

The Lead Singer Remembers the Beginnings

Our first albums were primarily produced in houses situated in the hills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album marked a significant step for the group, as it was their inaugural release on a large record company. Each member received an upfront payment of $3,000; I used mine to buy a classic red convertible and traveled to LA.

Every morning, my routine included by playing Pickin’ Up the Pieces by Poco, which resembles the Beatles exploring country music. Additionally, I frequently played a jazz record that my dad had picked up as a free giveaway at a gas station during my childhood.

The song Mr Jones was part of a demo that we submitted to record companies, but it was a challenging track to finish. We didn’t have a clear direction at first. Neither a leisurely tune nor a fast-paced rock song; instead, it moves with a rhythm, requiring a real feel to play. It’s soul music – closer to the Memphis soul style than folk.

Our drummer couldn’t hear the song like the others did – thus the producer enlisted one of his idols to play it.

We considered several production candidates, but when I spoke with T Bone Burnett, he seemed to get where the band was at. 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 guitar effects. Our drummer Steve Bowman couldn’t sync with the song’s rhythm, so the producer 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.

My best friend Marty and I had played in groups together prior to Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, David Serva, had made it in Spain and was returning in the Bay Area performing a series of shows. Attended one of his performances and hung out with the musicians bar-hopping. Next day, I returned and wrote the song. The lyrics reflect me and Marty that evening, wishing we were cool musicians so we could talk to the women more confidently.

I believe, it’s one of the best pieces I’ve ever written. We performed another track on SNL in 1994, the album jumped 40 spots weekly for over a month. Afterwards, Mr Jones became a huge hit.

The Multi-Instrumentalist Shares His Memories

Back in the 80s, the band members were sharing a space in a warehouse complex in Berkeley. I had been playing with Camper Van Beethoven and was in an side project called Monks of Doom.

Returning home one night, I found Adam with a fresh recording he’d created with the guitarist. I heard this song called Mr Jones. Recorded with a basic drum machine that sounded like a arcade sound or random noise, but his vocals were on another level.

Once T Bone took over, it felt like a complete transformation of Counting Crows. The approach toward roots influenced by folk and soul legends.

I got a call from Adam asking, “Listen, can you join us and play on this record?” By the time I arrived, the producer had relocated us to a recording space in Encino, Los Angeles – formerly used by Tito Jackson. There were guitars that Bob Dylan had recently used.

He instructed me to play my guitar behind the tempo the beat. He said, “Playing too fast before the drums comes off like an teenager rushing.” He has a southern accent, and his advice was to visualize putting your feet up on the mixing board and chewing gum during the performance.

Counting Crows was, in some ways, a response to grunge. Kurt Cobain’s death felt like the culmination. At the time, everyone were on heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not enlightenment. That negativity had reached an extreme, and the pendulum swung toward something emotional and sincere. Their music blended folk and rock with a strong influence of Van Morrison soul.

Mr Jones never gets old. On stage, when performing with the singer, I remember that time when he first shared the early version. Absolutely incredible.