The Story of the Hit Song Mr Jones: The Way Counting Crows Produced Their Iconic Anthem

The Lead Singer Recalls the Beginnings

The initial four records were primarily recorded in homes situated in the hills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After marked a significant milestone for the band, as it was their first release on a major label. We each received an upfront payment of $3,000; with it, I to purchase a classic red convertible and traveled to LA.

Each day, my routine included by listening to Pickin’ Up the Pieces by Poco, which sounds like the Beatles venturing into country music. Additionally, I was into a jazz record that my dad had acquired as a complimentary item at a Texaco station during my childhood.

The song Mr Jones was part of a demo that we sent to record companies, but it was a very difficult track to finish. We didn’t have a solid grasp at first. Neither a leisurely tune or a fast-paced rock song; rather, it moves with a rhythm, demanding a real feel to perform. The style is soulful – closer to the Stax Records style than folk.

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

We looked at several production candidates, 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 work together. Eliminated all the synths and effects pedals. The drummer couldn’t sync with the song’s rhythm, so the producer invited a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s heroes, to play on it. Looking back, it’s amusing, but it was hard on Steve back then.

Marty Jones and I performed in groups together before Counting Crows. His father, David Serva, had made it in Spain and was returning in the San Francisco area performing a tour. Attended one of his performances and hung out with the flamenco troupe visiting bars. Next day, I returned and wrote Mr Jones. The lyrics reflect our experience that night, dreaming we were cool musicians so we could connect with the women more confidently.

I believe, it’s among the finest pieces I’ve ever written. After playing Round Here on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the album jumped 40 spots each week for over a month. Following that, Mr Jones turned into a huge hit.

The Multi-Instrumentalist Recalls His Memories

In the late 1980s, Adam, David Bryson, and I were sharing a space in a industrial building in Berkeley. Previously, I performed with Camper Van Beethoven and was in an offshoot band named Monks of Doom.

Returning home one night, I found Adam with a new demo he’d created with Bryson. I heard this track titled Mr Jones. It was done with a basic drum machine that sounded like a arcade sound or popcorn popping, but his vocals were on another level.

After the producer took over, it felt like a complete transformation of Counting Crows. They shifted toward roots echoing Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.

Adam called me saying, “Hey, man, can you join us and play on this record?” When I arrived, T Bone had relocated us to a studio in LA’s Encino – previously used by Tito Jackson. Inside, we found instruments that Dylan had just recorded on.

T Bone instructed me to play my guitar slightly behind the drums. His words were, “If you rush ahead of the drums makes you sound like an adolescent rushing.” He has a southern accent, and his guidance 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 seemed the culmination. At the time, many used heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not mind expansion. The nihilism had gone too far, and the trend shifted toward something emotional and heartfelt. Their music blended folk and rock with a heavy dose of Van Morrison soul.

Mr Jones never gets old. Sometimes, when I am rocking out with the singer, I recall that moment when he played me the early version. Absolutely incredible.