The Making of Mr Jones: How Counting Crows Produced Their Signature Anthem

The Lead Singer Shares the Early Days

The initial albums were mostly produced in houses located in the foothills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album signified a significant step for the band, as it was their inaugural release on a large record company. Each member received an advance of $3,000; I used mine to buy a 1971 cherry red VW Karmann Ghia and traveled to LA.

Each day, I would start by listening to Pickin’ Up the Pieces by Poco, which resembles the Beatles exploring American folk. Additionally, I was into a Benny Goodman album that my father had acquired as a free giveaway at a gas station during my childhood.

Mr Jones was included on a demo that we sent to labels, but it was a challenging song to complete. We didn’t have a solid grasp at first. It’s not a leisurely tune or a fast-paced rock song; instead, it gallops along, demanding a deep understanding to perform. The style is soulful – more akin to the Memphis soul sound than country.

The band’s drummer struggled to grasp the track like the rest of us did – so the producer brought in one of his heroes to perform on it.

We considered a few production candidates, but when I discussed things with T Bone Burnett, he really get where the band was headed. We had great potential, but I wasn’t satisfied with our overall tone – we hadn’t learned how to work together. We removed all the synths and effects pedals. The drummer had trouble with the song’s rhythm, so T Bone invited a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s favorites, to play on it. Looking back, it’s amusing, but it was hard on Steve back then.

Marty Jones and I had played in groups together before Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, David Serva, had succeeded in Spain and was returning in the San Francisco area doing a tour. We went one of his shows and spent the night with the flamenco troupe visiting bars. The next morning, I returned and wrote the song. The lyrics reflect me and Marty that night, dreaming we were accomplished artists so we could connect with the women more easily.

I believe, it’s among the finest songs I’ve composed. After playing Round Here on SNL in 1994, the record jumped dozens of positions weekly for over a month. Afterwards, the song turned into a major success.

David Immerglück Recalls His Memories

In the late 1980s, Adam, David Bryson, and I were living together in a industrial building in Berkeley. Previously, I performed with another band and was in an offshoot band named Monks of Doom.

Returning home one night, Adam had a fresh recording he’d created with Bryson. I heard this song titled Mr Jones. Recorded with a basic drum machine that resembled a video game or popcorn popping, but his vocals were exceptional.

After the producer took over, it was a complete transformation of Counting Crows. The approach toward roots influenced by folk and soul legends.

Adam called me asking, “Hey, man, can you come down and play on this album?” By the time I arrived, the producer had relocated us to a studio in LA’s Encino – formerly used by Tito Jackson. There were instruments that Bob Dylan had recently used.

T Bone told me to perform slightly behind the beat. His words were, “If you rush before the drums makes you sound like an teenager hurrying.” With his southern accent, and his advice was to imagine relaxing on the mixing board and staying casual during the performance.

Counting Crows was, in some ways, a response to the grunge movement. Kurt Cobain’s death felt like the culmination. Back then, many were on heroin. The goal was obliteration, not enlightenment. The nihilism had gone too far, and the pendulum swung toward something more human and sincere. Their music blended folk and rock with a strong influence of Van Morrison soul.

The song remains timeless. On stage, when performing with Adam, I remember that time when he first shared the demo. Absolutely incredible.