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

The Lead Singer Recalls the Early Days

Our first albums were primarily recorded in houses located in the hills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After signified a significant step for the group, as it was their first release on a large record company. We each received an upfront payment of $3,000; I used mine to purchase a classic red convertible and traveled to LA.

Every morning, I would start by playing Pickin’ Up the Pieces by Poco, which sounds like the Beatles venturing into American folk. Additionally, I was into a jazz record that my father had picked up as a free giveaway at a gas station when I was young.

Mr Jones was part of a demo that we sent to labels, but it was a very difficult track to finish. It lacked a clear direction at first. It’s not a leisurely tune or a straight ahead number; rather, it moves with a rhythm, demanding a real feel to play. The style is soulful – more akin to the Memphis soul sound than folk.

Our drummer struggled to grasp the track like the others did – thus the producer enlisted one of his idols to perform on it.

We considered a few production candidates, but when I discussed things with the producer, he seemed to understand 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. Eliminated all the synthesizers and guitar effects. The drummer had trouble with the tempo, 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.

My best friend Marty and I performed in bands together prior to Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, a flamenco musician, had made it in Spain and was returning in the San Francisco area performing a series of shows. We went one of his shows and hung out with the flamenco troupe bar-hopping. The next morning, I went home and composed the song. It’s about our experience that evening, dreaming we were accomplished artists so we could talk to the women more easily.

In my view, it’s one of the best pieces I’ve composed. After playing Round Here on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the album jumped dozens of positions each week for over a month. Following that, the song turned into a huge hit.

David Immerglück Shares His Perspective

In the late 1980s, the band members were sharing a space in a industrial building in Berkeley. I had been playing with Camper Van Beethoven and was in an side project named Monks of Doom.

Returning home one night, Adam had a new demo he’d just done with Bryson. He played me this track called Mr Jones. It was done with a Dr Rhythm pocket drum machine that sounded like a arcade sound or popcorn popping, but his vocals were on another level.

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

I got a call from Adam asking, “Listen, can you come down and contribute to this record?” When I got there, the producer had relocated us to a studio in Encino, Los Angeles – formerly used by a Jackson 5 member. There were guitars that Bob Dylan had just recorded on.

T Bone told me to perform slightly behind the beat. He said, “If you rush ahead of the drums makes you sound like an adolescent rushing.” He has a southern accent, and his guidance was to visualize putting your feet up on the mixing board and chewing gum while playing.

Counting Crows was, to an extent, a response to grunge. The tragic end of Cobain seemed the final act. Back then, many were on heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not mind expansion. The nihilism had gone too far, and the pendulum swung toward something emotional and sincere. Counting Crows blended acoustic and electric with a heavy dose of soulful vibes.

The song remains timeless. Sometimes, when performing with the singer, I recall that time when he played me the early version. Absolutely incredible.