The Lead Singer Shares the Beginnings
Our first four records were mostly produced in homes located in the hills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After marked a significant milestone for the group, as it was their inaugural release on a major label. Each member received an upfront payment of $3,000; with it, I to purchase a classic red convertible and drove it to LA.
Every morning, I would start by listening to Pickin’ Up the Pieces by Poco, which resembles the Beatles venturing into country music. Additionally, I was into a Benny Goodman album that my father had picked up as a complimentary item at a gas station during my childhood.
Mr Jones was included on a demo tape that we sent to record companies, but it was a challenging track to complete. We didn’t have a clear direction at first. Neither a slow ballad nor a fast-paced rock song; rather, it gallops along, demanding a deep understanding to perform. The style is soulful – closer to the Stax Records style than folk.
The band’s drummer couldn’t hear the song as the rest of us did – thus the producer brought in one of his idols to play it.
We considered a few producers, but when I discussed things with the producer, he seemed to get where the band was at. There was a lot of promise, but I wasn’t satisfied with our overall tone – we were still learning how to be a band. Eliminated all the synthesizers and guitar effects. Our drummer Steve Bowman had trouble with the tempo, so the producer invited Denny Fongheiser, 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 performed in bands together prior to Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, David Serva, had succeeded in Spain and was back in the Bay Area performing a tour. Attended one of his shows and spent the night with the musicians bar-hopping. Next day, I went home and wrote the song. It’s about our experience that night, wishing we were accomplished artists so we could connect with the women more easily.
I believe, it’s among the finest songs I’ve composed. We performed another track on SNL in 1994, the record jumped 40 spots each week for five or six weeks. Afterwards, Mr Jones turned into a major success.
David Immerglück Shares His Perspective
Back in the 80s, 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, I found Adam with a new demo he’d created with Bryson. I heard this track titled Mr Jones. Recorded with a Dr Rhythm pocket drum machine that sounded like a video game or popcorn popping, but his singing were on another level.
Once T Bone took over, it felt like a complete transformation of Counting Crows. The approach toward roots influenced by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.
I got a call from Adam asking, “Hey, man, can you come down and play on this record?” By the time I got there, the producer had moved us to a studio in LA’s Encino – previously used by Tito Jackson. Inside, we found instruments that Dylan had recently used.
He instructed me to play my guitar behind the tempo the drums. He said, “If you rush before the drums makes you sound like an adolescent hurrying.” With his southern accent, and his guidance was to visualize putting your feet up on the console and chewing gum while playing.
Counting Crows was, in some ways, a reaction to the grunge movement. Kurt Cobain’s death felt like the culmination. At the time, everyone used heroin. The aim was obliteration, not enlightenment. The nihilism had reached an extreme, and the trend shifted toward something emotional and heartfelt. Their music blended folk and rock with a heavy dose of soulful vibes.
Mr Jones never gets old. On stage, when I am rocking out with the singer, I recall that time when he played me the early version. Absolutely incredible.
