Adam Duritz Shares the Beginnings
The initial four records were primarily produced in houses located in the hills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album signified a significant milestone for the band, as it was their inaugural release on a major label. Each member got an upfront payment of $3,000; I used mine to purchase a 1971 cherry red VW Karmann Ghia and traveled to LA.
Each day, I would start by playing a Poco track, which resembles the Beatles exploring country music. Additionally, I was into a jazz record that my dad had picked up as a free giveaway at a Texaco station when I was young.
The song Mr Jones was part of a demo tape that we submitted to labels, but it proved a challenging song to complete. It lacked a solid grasp at first. It’s not a leisurely tune nor a straight ahead number; instead, it moves with a rhythm, demanding a real feel to play. The style is soulful – closer to the Stax Records sound than country.
Our drummer struggled to grasp the song as the others did – so the producer enlisted one of his heroes to perform on it.
We considered several production candidates, but when I discussed things with the producer, he seemed to understand where the group was headed. We had great potential, but I wasn’t satisfied with our overall tone – we were still learning how to be a band. We removed all the synths and effects pedals. The drummer couldn’t sync with the song’s rhythm, so the producer called in a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s heroes, to play on it. Looking back, it’s amusing, but it was hard on Steve at the time.
Marty Jones and I performed in bands together before Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, David Serva, had succeeded in Spain and was returning in the San Francisco area performing a series of shows. We went one of his performances and hung out with the flamenco troupe visiting bars. Next day, I returned and composed Mr Jones. The lyrics reflect me and Marty that evening, wishing we were accomplished artists so we could talk to the girls more confidently.
In my view, it’s among the finest pieces I’ve ever written. We performed Round Here on SNL in 1994, the album jumped 40 spots weekly for five or six weeks. Following that, Mr Jones became a huge hit.
David Immerglück Shares His Memories
In the late 1980s, the band members were sharing a space in a industrial building in Berkeley. Previously, I performed with another band and had an side project named Monks of Doom.
Returning home one night, Adam had a fresh recording he’d just done with the guitarist. I heard this track titled the now-famous tune. Recorded with a Dr Rhythm pocket drum machine that resembled a video game or popcorn popping, but his singing were on another level.
Once T Bone took over, it felt like a total reinvention of Counting Crows. The approach back to basics influenced by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.
Adam called me saying, “Listen, can you join us and play on this record?” By the time I got there, the producer had relocated us to a studio in LA’s Encino – formerly used by a Jackson 5 member. There were guitars that Dylan had just recorded on.
T Bone instructed me to perform behind the tempo the beat. He said, “Playing too fast ahead of the drums makes you sound like an adolescent rushing.” With his Texas drawl, and his advice was to visualize relaxing on the mixing board and staying casual while playing.
Counting Crows was, in some ways, a response to grunge. The tragic end of Cobain seemed the final act. Back then, everyone were on heroin. The goal was self-destruction, not mind expansion. That negativity had gone too far, and the trend shifted toward something more human and sincere. Counting Crows blended acoustic and electric with a heavy dose of Van Morrison soul.
Mr Jones never gets old. Sometimes, when performing with Adam, I remember that moment when he first shared the demo. It’s insane.
