The Story of the Hit Song Mr Jones: How Counting Crows Crafted Their Signature Track

The Lead Singer Recalls the Early Days

The initial four records were primarily recorded in homes located in the foothills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After signified a major step for the group, as it was their inaugural release on a major label. Each member got an upfront payment of $3,000; I used mine to buy a 1971 cherry red VW Karmann Ghia and drove it to LA.

Every morning, my routine included by playing Pickin’ Up the Pieces by Poco, which resembles the Beatles exploring American folk. Additionally, I was into a jazz record that my father had picked up as a free giveaway at a gas station during my childhood.

Mr Jones was included on a demo tape that we submitted to record companies, but it was a very difficult track to complete. It lacked a clear direction at first. Neither a leisurely tune nor a straight ahead number; rather, it gallops along, requiring a real feel to play. The style is soulful – closer to the Memphis soul sound than folk.

The band’s drummer couldn’t hear the track as the others did – thus T Bone enlisted one of his idols to perform on it.

We considered several producers, but when I discussed things with the producer, he really get where the group was at. We had great potential, but I didn’t like with our sound – we were still learning how to work together. We removed all the synthesizers and effects pedals. The drummer had trouble with the song’s rhythm, so T Bone called in a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s favorites, to play on it. It’s a funny story, but it was hard on Steve back then.

Marty Jones and I had played in groups together before Counting Crows. His father, David Serva, had succeeded in Spain and was returning in the San Francisco area performing a tour. Attended one of his shows and hung out with the flamenco troupe visiting bars. Next day, I went home and wrote Mr Jones. It’s about me and Marty that evening, wishing we were accomplished artists so we could talk to the women more confidently.

In my view, it’s one of the best songs I’ve composed. We performed another track on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the record jumped dozens of positions each week for five or six weeks. Afterwards, Mr Jones became a major success.

David Immerglück Recalls His Memories

In the late 1980s, Adam, David Bryson, and I were living together in a warehouse complex in Berkeley. I had been playing with another band and had an offshoot band called Monks of Doom.

Returning home one night, Adam had a new demo he’d just done with the guitarist. I heard this song called the now-famous tune. It was done with a Dr Rhythm pocket drum machine that resembled a video game or popcorn popping, but his vocals were on another level.

Once T Bone got involved, it was a total reinvention of Counting Crows. The approach back to basics influenced by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.

I got a call from Adam asking, “Hey, man, can you join us and play on this record?” By the time I got there, T Bone had moved us to a studio in LA’s Encino – formerly used by Tito Jackson. Inside, we found instruments that Bob Dylan had recently used.

He told me to play my guitar slightly behind the beat. He said, “If you rush before the drums makes you sound like an adolescent rushing.” With his southern accent, and his guidance was to imagine relaxing on the console and chewing gum while playing.

Counting Crows was, to an extent, a response to the grunge movement. Kurt Cobain’s death felt like the culmination. Back then, many used heroin. The goal was self-destruction, not enlightenment. That negativity had gone too far, and the pendulum swung toward something emotional and sincere. Counting Crows blended folk and rock with a strong influence of Van Morrison soul.

Mr Jones remains timeless. Sometimes, when I am rocking out with Adam, I recall that moment when he first shared the demo. Absolutely incredible.