Adam Duritz Shares the Formative Period
The initial four records were mostly recorded in houses located in the foothills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After signified a significant step for the group, as it was their inaugural release on a large record company. Each member received an advance of $3,000; with it, I to buy a 1971 cherry red VW Karmann Ghia and traveled to LA.
Every morning, I would start by playing a Poco track, which resembles the Beatles venturing into American folk. Additionally, I was into a jazz record that my father had acquired as a complimentary item at a Texaco station during my childhood.
Mr Jones was part of a demo that we submitted to labels, but it was a challenging song to complete. It lacked a solid grasp at first. It’s not a leisurely tune nor a fast-paced number; rather, it moves with a rhythm, requiring a deep understanding to perform. The style is soulful – closer to the Stax Records sound than country.
Our drummer struggled to grasp the track as the rest of us did – thus the producer enlisted one of his heroes to play it.
We considered a few production candidates, but when I discussed things with T Bone Burnett, he really understand where the band was at. There was great potential, but I didn’t like with our sound – we were still learning how to work together. We removed all the synthesizers and effects pedals. The drummer couldn’t sync with the tempo, so T Bone invited Denny Fongheiser, 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 groups together prior to Counting Crows. Marty’s dad, a flamenco musician, had made it in Spain and was back in the Bay Area doing a tour. Attended one of his shows and hung out with the flamenco troupe bar-hopping. The next morning, I returned and wrote Mr Jones. The lyrics reflect me and Marty that night, dreaming we were cool musicians so we could talk to the girls more confidently.
I believe, it’s one of the best pieces I’ve ever written. After playing another track on SNL in 1994, the album jumped dozens of positions weekly for five or six weeks. Following that, Mr Jones turned into a major success.
David Immerglück Recalls His Memories
In the late 1980s, the band members were sharing a space in a industrial building in Berkeley. I had been playing with another band and had an offshoot band called Monks of Doom.
One evening, Adam had a new demo he’d created with the guitarist. He played me this track titled the now-famous tune. It was done with a basic drum machine that sounded like a arcade sound or popcorn popping, but his vocals were on another level.
After the producer got involved, it was a total reinvention of Counting Crows. They shifted toward roots influenced by folk and soul legends.
I got a call from Adam saying, “Listen, can you come down and play on this record?” When I arrived, T Bone had moved us to a studio in Encino, Los Angeles – previously used by a Jackson 5 member. There were guitars that Bob Dylan had recently used.
T Bone told 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 guidance was to imagine putting your feet up on the mixing board and chewing gum during the performance.
Counting Crows was, in some ways, a reaction to the grunge movement. The tragic end of Cobain seemed the culmination. Back then, everyone used heroin. The aim was self-destruction, not mind expansion. That negativity had reached an extreme, and the trend shifted toward something emotional and heartfelt. Their music combined acoustic and electric with a heavy dose of soulful vibes.
Mr Jones never gets old. On stage, when performing with the singer, I remember that moment when he first shared the early version. It’s insane.
