Adam Duritz Shares the Early Days
Our first four records were primarily produced in homes located in the hills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After marked a significant step for the group, as it was their inaugural release on a large record company. We each got an advance of $3,000; with it, I to buy a classic red convertible and traveled to LA.
Each day, my routine included by listening to a Poco track, which sounds like the Beatles exploring American folk. Also, I frequently played a jazz record that my dad had acquired as a free giveaway at a Texaco 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. Neither a slow ballad nor a straight ahead rock song; rather, it gallops along, requiring a deep understanding to play. It’s soul music – more akin to the Stax Records style than country.
Our drummer struggled to grasp the track like the others did – so T Bone enlisted one of his idols to play it.
We considered a few production candidates, but when I spoke with T Bone Burnett, he seemed to understand where the band was at. We had a lot of promise, but I wasn’t satisfied with our overall tone – we hadn’t learned how to be a band. We removed all the synthesizers and effects pedals. The drummer had trouble with the song’s rhythm, so the producer called in Denny Fongheiser, one of Steve’s favorites, to play on it. Looking back, it’s amusing, but it was tough on Steve back then.
My best friend Marty and I had played in groups together before Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, a flamenco musician, had succeeded in Spain and was returning in the Bay Area doing a series of shows. We went one of his performances and hung out with the musicians visiting bars. The next morning, I returned and composed Mr Jones. The lyrics reflect our experience that night, wishing we were accomplished artists so we could talk to the girls more confidently.
I believe, it’s among the finest pieces I’ve composed. After playing Round Here on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the album jumped 40 spots each week for over a month. Afterwards, the song became a huge hit.
David Immerglück Shares His Memories
Back in the 80s, the band members were living together in a industrial building in Berkeley. I had been playing with Camper Van Beethoven and was in an offshoot band called Monks of Doom.
Returning home one night, I found Adam with a fresh recording he’d just done with the guitarist. 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 on another level.
Once T Bone took over, it was a complete transformation of Counting Crows. The approach back to basics influenced by folk and soul legends.
Adam called me asking, “Hey, man, can you join us and play on this record?” When I got there, the producer had relocated us to a studio in Encino, Los Angeles – previously used by a Jackson 5 member. Inside, we found instruments that Bob Dylan had just recorded on.
He instructed me to play my guitar slightly behind the beat. He said, “Playing too fast ahead of the drums makes you sound like an adolescent rushing.” With his Texas drawl, and his guidance was to imagine relaxing on the console and chewing gum while playing.
The band was, in some ways, a reaction to the grunge movement. Kurt Cobain’s death felt like the culmination. At the time, many used heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not enlightenment. The nihilism had gone too far, and the trend shifted toward something more human and sincere. Their music combined acoustic and electric with a strong influence of soulful vibes.
Mr Jones never gets old. Sometimes, when performing with Adam, I remember that moment when he first shared the demo. It’s insane.
