Adam Duritz Remembers the Beginnings
The initial albums were mostly produced in homes located in the foothills 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 received an upfront payment of $3,000; with it, I to purchase a 1971 cherry red VW Karmann Ghia and traveled to LA.
Each day, I would start by listening to a Poco track, which sounds like the Beatles exploring country music. Additionally, I was into a Benny Goodman album that my father had acquired as a complimentary item at a Texaco station when I was young.
Mr Jones was part of a demo that we sent to record companies, but it was a very difficult track to complete. It lacked a clear direction at first. Neither a leisurely tune or a straight ahead number; rather, it gallops along, requiring a deep understanding to play. It’s soul music – more akin to the Stax Records style than country.
The band’s drummer couldn’t hear the song like the rest of us did – so T Bone brought in one of his heroes to play it.
We looked at a few producers, but when I spoke with the producer, he seemed to understand where the group was at. There was great potential, but I wasn’t satisfied with our sound – we hadn’t learned how to work together. Eliminated all the synthesizers and guitar effects. The drummer had trouble with the song’s rhythm, so the producer called in Denny Fongheiser, one of Steve’s favorites, to lay down the drums. Looking back, it’s amusing, but it was tough on Steve at the time.
Marty Jones and I had played in groups together before Counting Crows. His father, a flamenco musician, had made it in Spain and was back in the Bay Area performing a series of shows. Attended one of his shows and spent the night with the musicians visiting bars. The next morning, I returned and composed the song. The lyrics reflect our experience that night, wishing we were accomplished artists so we could connect with the women more easily.
In my view, it’s one of the best songs I’ve ever written. We performed Round Here on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the album jumped 40 spots weekly for over a month. Afterwards, Mr Jones became a huge hit.
The Multi-Instrumentalist Shares His Perspective
In the late 1980s, Adam, David Bryson, and I were sharing a space in a warehouse complex in Berkeley. I had been playing with another band and had an offshoot band named Monks of Doom.
One evening, Adam had a fresh recording he’d created with Bryson. I heard this track titled Mr Jones. Recorded with a Dr Rhythm pocket drum machine that sounded like a arcade sound or popcorn popping, but his singing were exceptional.
After the producer got involved, it was a complete transformation of Counting Crows. They shifted toward roots influenced by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and the Band.
I got a call from Adam saying, “Listen, can you join us and contribute to this record?” When I got there, the producer had relocated us to a studio in Encino, Los Angeles – formerly used by Tito Jackson. There were instruments that Bob Dylan had recently used.
T Bone instructed me to perform behind the tempo the drums. He said, “Playing too fast before the drums comes off like an adolescent hurrying.” He has a Texas drawl, and his advice was to imagine putting your feet up on the mixing board and chewing gum while playing.
The band was, to an extent, a response to the grunge movement. Kurt Cobain’s death seemed the culmination. At the time, everyone used heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not enlightenment. That negativity had reached an extreme, and the trend shifted toward something more human and sincere. Counting Crows blended acoustic and electric with a strong influence of Van Morrison soul.
The song never gets old. On stage, when performing with the singer, I recall that time when he first shared the early version. Absolutely incredible.
