The Lead Singer Recalls the Early Days
The initial albums were primarily produced in homes situated in the foothills above Los Angeles. August and Everything After signified a major milestone for the band, as it was their inaugural release on a large record company. We each got an upfront payment of $3,000; with it, I to purchase a 1971 cherry red VW Karmann Ghia and traveled to LA.
Every morning, I would start by listening to a Poco track, which sounds like the Beatles venturing into American folk. Also, I was into a Benny Goodman album that my dad had acquired as a complimentary item at a gas station when I was young.
Mr Jones was included on a demo that we submitted to record companies, but it was a very difficult track to finish. It lacked a solid grasp at first. It’s not a leisurely tune or a straight ahead number; rather, it moves with a rhythm, requiring a real feel to play. It’s soul music – closer to the Memphis soul sound than folk.
The band’s drummer struggled to grasp the song like the rest of us did – thus the producer enlisted one of his heroes to perform on it.
We looked at several production candidates, but when I spoke with the producer, he seemed to understand where the group was at. We had a lot of promise, but I wasn’t satisfied with our sound – we were still learning how to work together. We removed all the synthesizers and effects pedals. The drummer had trouble with the song’s rhythm, so the producer invited a renowned drummer, one of Steve’s heroes, to play on it. It’s a funny story, but it was hard on Steve at the time.
My best friend Marty and I had played in bands together before Counting Crows. His father, David Serva, had made it in Spain and was back in the Bay Area doing a tour. We went one of his performances and spent the night with the flamenco troupe bar-hopping. Next day, I returned and composed the song. It’s about me and Marty that night, dreaming we were accomplished artists so we could talk to the girls more confidently.
I believe, it’s one of the best songs I’ve ever written. After playing Round Here on SNL in 1994, the record climbed dozens of positions weekly for over a month. Following that, Mr Jones turned into 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 another band and had an offshoot band named Monks of Doom.
Returning home one night, I found Adam with a new demo he’d created with the guitarist. I heard this track titled the now-famous tune. It was done with a Dr Rhythm pocket drum machine that sounded like a arcade sound or popcorn popping, but his singing were exceptional.
Once T Bone took over, it felt like a complete transformation of Counting Crows. The approach toward roots echoing folk and soul legends.
Adam called me saying, “Hey, man, can you come down and play on this album?” When I got there, T Bone had relocated us to a studio in LA’s Encino – previously used by a Jackson 5 member. Inside, we found guitars that Dylan had recently used.
He told me to play my guitar slightly behind the beat. His words were, “Playing too fast before the drums comes off like an adolescent rushing.” With his southern accent, and his guidance was to visualize putting your feet up on the console and chewing gum during the performance.
Counting Crows was, to an extent, a response to the grunge movement. Kurt Cobain’s death seemed the final act. At the time, many used heroin. The goal was self-destruction, not enlightenment. That negativity had gone too far, and the pendulum swung toward something emotional and sincere. Counting Crows blended folk and rock with a heavy dose of Van Morrison soul.
The song remains timeless. Sometimes, when I am rocking out with the singer, I remember that moment when he played me the early version. It’s insane.
