Adam Duritz Remembers the Early Days
The initial albums were mostly produced in homes located in the foothills above Los Angeles. Their debut major label album marked a major milestone for the group, as it was their inaugural release on a large record company. Each member received an upfront payment of $3,000; I used mine to purchase a classic red convertible and drove it to LA.
Every morning, I would start by playing Pickin’ Up the Pieces by Poco, which resembles the Beatles venturing into American folk. Additionally, I frequently played a jazz record that my dad had picked up as a complimentary item at a gas station during my childhood.
The song Mr Jones was included on a demo tape that we sent to labels, but it proved a challenging song to finish. It lacked a solid grasp at first. Neither a leisurely tune or a straight ahead rock song; rather, it moves with a rhythm, requiring a real feel to perform. It’s soul music – more akin to the Memphis soul style than folk.
The band’s drummer struggled to grasp the song like the rest of us did – so T Bone brought in one of his heroes to play it.
We looked at several production candidates, but when I discussed things with the producer, he really get where the group was headed. There was a lot of promise, but I didn’t like with our overall tone – we were still learning how to work together. Eliminated all the synths and effects pedals. Our drummer Steve Bowman couldn’t sync with the tempo, so T Bone called in a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s favorites, to lay down the drums. Looking back, it’s amusing, but it was tough on Steve back then.
Marty Jones and I had played in bands together before Counting Crows. His father, David Serva, had succeeded in Spain and was back in the Bay Area doing a tour. We went one of his shows and hung out with the flamenco troupe bar-hopping. The next morning, I returned and composed the song. It’s about me and Marty that night, dreaming we were cool musicians so we could connect with the girls more easily.
I believe, it’s among the finest songs I’ve ever written. After playing another track on Saturday Night Live in 1994, the record climbed 40 spots weekly for over a month. Afterwards, Mr Jones turned into a huge hit.
The Multi-Instrumentalist Shares His Memories
Back in the 80s, the band members were living together in a warehouse complex in Berkeley. Previously, I performed with Camper Van Beethoven and had an offshoot band named Monks of Doom.
Returning home one night, Adam had a new demo he’d just done with the guitarist. He played me this track titled Mr Jones. Recorded with a basic drum machine that sounded like a video game or random noise, but his vocals were on another level.
Once T Bone took over, it was a complete transformation of Counting Crows. They shifted back to basics echoing folk and soul legends.
I got a call from Adam asking, “Hey, man, can you come down and contribute to this record?” By the time I got there, T Bone had relocated us to a studio in Encino, Los Angeles – previously used by Tito Jackson. Inside, we found instruments that Bob Dylan had just recorded on.
T Bone told me to play my guitar slightly behind the drums. His words were, “Playing too fast before the drums comes off like an adolescent hurrying.” He has a Texas drawl, and his advice was to visualize putting your feet up on the mixing board and staying casual while playing.
Counting Crows was, to an extent, a reaction to grunge. Kurt Cobain’s death felt like the culmination. At the time, everyone used heroin. The aim was obliteration, not mind expansion. That negativity had gone too far, and the pendulum swung toward something more human and sincere. Their music combined acoustic and electric with a strong influence of soulful vibes.
The song remains timeless. Sometimes, when performing with Adam, I recall that moment when he first shared the early version. Absolutely incredible.
