Counting Crows is an American
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band originating from
Berkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993,
August and Everything AfterAugust and Everything After is the first commercially released album of the American rock band Counting Crows, released September 14, 1993....
, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones". They have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and received a 2004 Academy Award nomination for their song "
Accidentally in Love"Accidentally in Love" is a Pop song performed by Counting Crows. It was featured in the Shrek 2 movie soundtrack and released in 2004. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song. This song is included in the music game Lego Rock Band....
", which was included in the film
Shrek 2Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek...
.
The band's influences include
Van MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
,
R.E.M.R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, Mike + The Mechanics,
NirvanaNirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
,
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, and
The BandThe Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
.
Formation
Singer
Adam DuritzAdam Fredric Duritz is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and film producer. He is best known for his role as frontman and vocalist for the rock band Counting Crows, in which he is a founding member and principal composer of their catalogue of songs.Duritz has recorded solo...
(former member of the
San Francisco Bay AreaThe San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
band
The HimalayansThe Himalayans were a rock band formed in San Francisco in 1990 by Dan Jewett and Chris Roldan. They prided themselves on the quality of their live performances, putting considerable effort into audio engineering to get a "studio" sound in live venues....
) and producer/guitarist David Bryson formed Counting Crows in
San FranciscoSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in 1991. Counting Crows began as an
acousticAcoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
duo, playing
gigsGig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
in and around
BerkeleyBerkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
and San Francisco. Another friend, guitarist
David ImmerglückDavid Immerglück is an American multi-instrumentalist who is best known as a guitarist in the alternative rock bands Counting Crows, Camper Van Beethoven and the Monks of Doom...
, played with them from time to time, though he was not an official member of the group, and experimented with other musicians in the area. As the emerging band recorded some
demoA demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
s, and as other musicians joined the duo to make a full band, Immerglück recorded with the band on some of the songs for their first album. He declined joining the band at the time, because of his membership in two other locally popular bands,
Monks of DoomThe Monks of Doom are an American alternative rock band, formed in California in 1986. Working within the indie rock aesthetic framework , the band's music drew from post-punk, progressive rock and folk rock traditions...
and
Camper Van BeethovenCamper Van Beethoven is an American alternative rock group formed in Redlands, California in 1983.An eclectic band, Camper Van Beethoven mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk and alternative country, as well as various types of world music. Their aggressive musical pluralism created a...
. By 1993, the band had grown to a stable lineup of Duritz as vocalist, occasional
pianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, and primary
songwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, Bryson on guitar, Matt Malley playing
bass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
,
Charlie GillinghamCharlie Gillingham is best known for his performance on the Hammond B-3 organ, accordion, piano, and keyboards for the band Counting Crows...
on
keyboardA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s, and
Steve BowmanSteve Bowman is an American rock drummer and songwriter. He was a founding member and drummer for the Counting Crows during the recording and period of time following their debut album, August and Everything After. The band's unexpected success led them to performancess on Late Night with David...
as
drummerA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, and the band was a regular in the Bay Area scene. The same year, the band signed to
Geffen RecordsGeffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. On January 16, 1993, the band, still relatively unknown, filled in for
Van MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, and was introduced by an enthusiastic
Robbie RobertsonRobbie Robertson, OC; is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known for his membership as the guitarist and primary songwriter within The Band. He was ranked 59th in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
. At the ceremony, they played a cover of Van Morrison's "
Caravan"Caravan" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1970 album, Moondance. It was a concert highlight for several years and was included as one of the songs on Morrison's 1974 acclaimed live album, It's Too Late to Stop Now.It was also performed by...
".
Before signing to Geffen, the band recorded demo versions of a number of songs, known as the 'Flying Demos'. These later surfaced among the Counting Crows fanbase. Tracks include "
Rain King"Rain King" is a single by the rock band Counting Crows. It was released as the band's fourth single . The title is a reference to Saul Bellow's Henderson the Rain King....
", "Omaha", "Anna Begins", "
Einstein on the Beach (For an Eggman)"Einstein on the Beach " is a song recorded by Counting Crows from the album DGC Rarities Volume 1. It was included on the band's best-of compilation, Films About Ghosts . The title of the song was inspired by the Philip Glass opera Einstein on the Beach.-Charts:...
", "Shallow Days", "Love and Addiction", "Mr. Jones", "
Round Here"Round Here" was released in 1994 from Geffen Records as the second single from the Counting Crows' debut album, August and Everything After ....
", "40 Years", "Margery Dreams of Horses", "Bulldog", "Lightning", and "We're Only Love". Some songs from the tape later resurfaced (in reworked versions) on the band's debut album
August and Everything AfterAugust and Everything After is the first commercially released album of the American rock band Counting Crows, released September 14, 1993....
.
Origin of the name
The band took its name from a
divinationDivination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
rhyme"One for Sorrow" is a traditional children's nursery rhyme about magpies. According to an old superstition, the number of magpies one sees determines if one will have bad luck or not. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 20096.-Lyrics:...
about the crow, heard by Duritz in the film
Signs of LifeSigns of Life, also known as One for Sorrow, Two for Joy, is a film by American director John David Coles, released May 5, 1989. The film stars Beau Bridges, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Arthur Kennedy...
. The rhyme begins the third verse (around the 2:07 mark) of the song "A Murder of One" on the album
August and Everything After :
"Well I dreamt I saw you walking up a hillside in the snow / Casting shadows on the winter sky as you stood there, counting crows / One for sorrow, two for joy / Three for girls and four for boys / Five for silver, six for gold / Seven for a secret never to be told."
August and Everything After
From the beginning, Counting Crows focused on live performances. The band's debut album
August and Everything AfterAugust and Everything After is the first commercially released album of the American rock band Counting Crows, released September 14, 1993....
, produced by
T-Bone BurnettJoseph Henry Burnett , widely known as T-Bone Burnett, is an American musician, songwriter, and soundtrack and record producer.He was a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band on the Rolling Thunder Revue...
, was released in late 1993. The band toured extensively in 1993 and 1994, both as headliners and in supporting roles with other artists, including
CrackerCracker is an American alternative rock band featuring founders/songwriters singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman. They are best known for their platinum-selling 1993 album, Kerosene Hat, featuring the hit songs "Low", "Euro-Trash Girl", and "Get Off This".Founders Lowery and Hickman...
,
the CranberriesThe Cranberries are an Irish rock band formed in Limerick in 1989 under the name The Cranberry Saw Us, later changed by vocalist Dolores O'Riordan. The band currently consists of O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler...
,
SuedeSuede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
,
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
,
Los LobosLos Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...
,
JellyfishJellyfish were a power pop band from San Francisco. It formed after Beatnik Beatch broke up in 1989. The core members were drummer/singer/songwriter Andy Sturmer and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Roger Joseph Manning, Jr...
, and
Midnight OilMidnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
. The first single, "Mr. Jones," refers to
The HimalayansThe Himalayans were a rock band formed in San Francisco in 1990 by Dan Jewett and Chris Roldan. They prided themselves on the quality of their live performances, putting considerable effort into audio engineering to get a "studio" sound in live venues....
'
bassistA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, who was Duritz's childhood friend, Marty Jones, and Kenney Dale Johnson, the drummer of Silvertone,
Chris IsaakChristopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...
's band, describing the desire of working musicians to make it big and the fantasies they entertain about what this might bring. Duritz sang the song in fun, enjoying the fantasy of making it big. However, he did not realize that just months later, in December 1993,
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
began playing the video for the song. It was an unexpected hit song, drawing massive radio play and launching the band into stardom.
August and Everything After became the fastest-selling album since
NirvanaNirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
's
NevermindNevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
. With the turbo charge of their first single propelling the band forward, and positive reviews from
Rolling Stone Magazine and other publications, it was decided that the band could use another guitarist, and
Dan VickreyDaniel Vickrey is an American musician. He has performed since 1994 as a lead guitarist in the alternative rock band, Counting Crows...
, another Bay Area musician was offered the role as
lead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
ist, singing backing vocals. The harmonies within the band drew praise from the start. In 1994 the band appeared on
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
and
Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
, and toured with
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
. The album sold 7 million copies, but success took a toll on the band; drummer Steve Bowman left, and Duritz suffered a widely-reported
nervous breakdownMental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
, which was not his first.
Recovering the Satellites
The band played only two gigs in 1995. This allowed Duritz to write a set of songs that became the band's second album,
Recovering the Satellites-External links:**...
. Released October 15, 1996, it was heavier than
August and Everything After, perhaps due to the addition of second guitarist
Dan VickreyDaniel Vickrey is an American musician. He has performed since 1994 as a lead guitarist in the alternative rock band, Counting Crows...
, who had joined in early 1994. A response to the sudden fame that "Mr. Jones" had brought, it contains lyrics such as "These days I feel like I'm fading away / Like sometimes when I hear myself on the radio" (from "Have You Seen Me Lately?") and "Gonna get back to basics / Guess I'll start it up again" (from "Recovering the Satellites"). Dealing with the theme of Duritz's unease with his newfound fame, the album was described as "a concept album of sorts about trying to pick up the pieces of a family, a social life and a psyche shattered by fame."
In July 1997, after nine months of near-constant touring in support of the album, Duritz developed
noduleFor use of the term nodule in dermatology, see Nodule In medicine, a nodule refers to a relatively hard, roughly spherical abnormal structure....
s on his vocal cords, leading to the cancellation of a number of gigs. After taking time off to recover, the band toured for the rest of 1997, concluding with a show at the
Hammerstein BallroomThe Hammerstein Ballroom is a two-tiered, 12,000 square feet ballroom located within the Manhattan Center Studios on 311 West 34th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America. It is known for its elegant appearance and excellent acoustical design...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. This concert was released as half of a double live album
Across a Wire: Live in New York CityAcross a Wire: Live in New York City is the third album released by Counting Crows, released on July 14, 1998. It is a double-live album, featuring songs from their first two albums, August and Everything After and Recovering the Satellites...
. The other disc was a recording of a predominantly acoustic set from the band's appearance on the
VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
Storytellers show.
This Desert Life
In 1999, Counting Crows performed at Woodstock 99. Later that same year, the band released
This Desert LifeThis Desert Life is the third studio album from Counting Crows. The cover art is by noted comic book artist Dave McKean, best known for his work with Neil Gaiman, and is in fact an adaptation of the cover art McKean did for Gaiman's picture book The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish.-Track...
, sales of which were propelled by the success of "
Hanginaround"Hanginaround" is a hit single by the American rock band Counting Crows. It is the first track on their third album This Desert Life . The song managed to hit number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, being their biggest hit on said chart to this date...
" and "Colorblind" which was also featured in the movie
Cruel IntentionsCruel Intentions is a 1999 American drama film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. The film is an adaptation of the 18th-century French epistolary novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Laclos and is set among wealthy teenagers living in modern New York...
. Supporting the album, the band embarked on a co-headlining tour with alternative rock band
LiveLive is an American rock band from York, Pennsylvania, composed of Chad Taylor , Patrick Dahlheimer , and Chad Gracey . Lead singer and principal songwriter Ed Kowalczyk left the band in November 2009....
. Counting Crows closed nearly every show. Before this album and subsequent tour, the band invited session player and long-time friend
David ImmerglückDavid Immerglück is an American multi-instrumentalist who is best known as a guitarist in the alternative rock bands Counting Crows, Camper Van Beethoven and the Monks of Doom...
to join the band as a permanent member. Immerglück had played on every Counting Crows album as a
sidemanA sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform or record with a group of which he or she is not a regular member. They often tour with solo acts as well as bands and jazz ensembles. Sidemen are generally required to be adaptable to many different styles of music, and so able to fit...
, but early on had declined a permanent position. This time, however, Immerglück said yes and now plays variety of instruments with the band, including acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitars,
slide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
, and
mandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, as well as contributing backing vocals.
Hard Candy and greatest hits
On July 9, 2002, the band released their fourth studio album,
Hard Candy. The album included a
coverIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of
Joni MitchellJoni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
's song "
Big Yellow Taxi"Big Yellow Taxi" is a song written and originally performed by Joni Mitchell in 1970. It was a big hit in her native Canada as well as Australia and the UK...
".
Vanessa CarltonVanessa Lee Carlton is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York bars and clubs while attending university. Three months after recording a demo with producer Peter...
contributed backing vocals to the
single editIn music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
of the track, which appeared on the
soundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for
Two Weeks NoticeTwo Weeks Notice is a 2002 romantic comedy film starring Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock from Warner Bros. Pictures. The film was written and directed by Marc Lawrence. Upon release, the film received a successful box office run both in the United States and globally.-Plot:Lucy Kelson is a...
and was re-released on future
Hard Candy albums. The original version, without vocals by Carlton, appeared on the first album release as a hidden track.
Hard Candy received better reviews than the previous efforts, with "radio friendly" songs, like "American Girls", and contains a more upbeat feel and tempo. The band toured with the
DutchThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
band,
BløfBLØF is an award-winning four-piece Dutch rock band from Vlissingen, Zeeland, the Netherlands, which has become popular regionally and internationally for its music, its frequent collaborations with bands from other parts of the world, willingness to incorporate other genres into their "sound", and...
. A song, "Holiday in Spain," came together as a result of the camaraderie between the two groups: it is sung partly as a dual language duet, and partly as a musical "round", with both lead singers singing in differing languages at the end of the song.
Midway through the Hard Candy tour, drummer Ben Mize (born February 2, 1971, Durham,
North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
) amicably left the band to spend more time with his family and pursue his own musical interests. After Mize completed the American leg of the tour, he was replaced by Jim Bogios, formerly a drummer with
Ben FoldsBenjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
and
Sheryl CrowSheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
. Following the Hard Candy tour, longtime
bassistA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Matt Malley left the band. He was replaced by
Millard PowersAvery Millard Powers III is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and grammy nominated recording engineer.-Early history:...
.
Counting Crows released the greatest hits album,
Films About Ghosts in November 2003; the album title was taken from the lyrics of "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby," which appeared on
This Desert Life. The band also toured in 2003 with
John MayerJohn Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, in 2008 with
Maroon 5Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
, and in 2002 and 2004 with the
Graham ColtonGraham Colton is an American singer-songwriter from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma most widely known for his hit song "Best Days", featured on the television series American Idol and Kyle XY...
Band.
In 2004, the band's "
Accidentally in Love"Accidentally in Love" is a Pop song performed by Counting Crows. It was featured in the Shrek 2 movie soundtrack and released in 2004. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song. This song is included in the music game Lego Rock Band....
" appeared on the
soundtrack of the hugely popular
computer-animatedComputer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
film
Shrek 2Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek...
. The song was nominated and performed for an Academy Award, and later versions of the 2003 greatest hits album include the track, which was re-released in 2004. The official film clip of the song features LA-based international model Steve Vanda.
New Amsterdam: Live at Heineken Music Hall
In June 2006, the band released
New Amsterdam: Live at Heineken Music HallNew Amsterdam: Live at Heineken Music Hall is the second live album by Counting Crows, released by Geffen Records on June 19, 2006, in the United Kingdom and the following day in the United States...
, a live album assembled from performances on their 2003 tour in support of
Hard Candy. Although it is composed mainly of performances of already released material, it also contains "Hazy" (co-written with tour support act
Gemma HayesGemma Claire Hayes is an Irish singer-songwriter and member of The Cake Sale.-Early life:...
) and various vendor-specific additional tracks, such as a cover of
Jackson C. FrankJackson Carey Frank was an American folk musician.-Early life:When Jackson Frank was 11, a furnace exploded at his school, sending a ball of flames down corridors until it ended up in Frank's music classroom in the Cleveland Hill Elementary School in Cheektowaga, New York...
's "Blues Run the Game".
Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
Duritz hinted in an interview that Counting Crows' next studio record would be released in late 2007. He indicated that the band recently had spent three weeks working in a recording studio with
Gil NortonGil Norton is a British record producer known for his work with such bands as Pixies, Echo & the Bunnymen, Foo Fighters, Tribe, Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Feeder, The Distillers, Maxïmo Park, Counting Crows, Terrorvision, The Triffids, Del Amitri, James, The Feelers, The Beekeepers,...
, the producer behind
Recovering the Satellites. On September 27, 2007, Duritz announced on his blog that the band had asked its record label to postpone the album's release until early 2008, citing the time pressures involved in preparing both the new album and an
August and Everything AfterAugust and Everything After is the first commercially released album of the American rock band Counting Crows, released September 14, 1993....
deluxe edition for release.
Duritz revealed the working title of the album to be
Saturday Nights & Sunday MorningsSaturday Nights & Sunday Mornings is the fifth studio album by Counting Crows, released in the United States on March 25, 2008. It is thematically divided into two sides: the rock music of Saturday Nights and the more country-influenced Sunday Mornings. Vocalist and lyricist Adam Duritz states that...
, explaining, "Saturday night is when you sin and Sunday is when you regret. Sinning is often done very loudly, angrily, bitterly, violently." Vickrey has stated that "the idea at the moment is to have kind of a rocking side and then an acoustic-y, maybe country-ish side. We got the first half done in May in New York, so half of it is pretty strong and done. And now we're going to work on the second half, the country tunes, during the tour."
On July 22, 2007, at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium in
Wilmington, DelawareWilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, a new ballad, titled "Washington Square," was previewed. It ended up being the first track which turned up on the latter half ("Sunday Mornings") of the new record. Also played was "Cowboys," a track from the first half ("Saturday Nights") of the new album. "Insignificant" was stated by Duritz to be the second track on the "Saturday Nights" portion of the album.
On August 8, 2007, VH1 filmed a live performance of "Mr. Jones". Clips of that performance were shown on the VH1 miniseries 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s. VH1 ranked "Mr. Jones" at #27 on the list.
On September 18, 2007, Counting Crows played a show at Town Hall in New York City, during which they played
August and Everything AfterAugust and Everything After is the first commercially released album of the American rock band Counting Crows, released September 14, 1993....
from beginning to end. They also played several songs from
Saturday Nights & Sunday MorningsSaturday Nights & Sunday Mornings is the fifth studio album by Counting Crows, released in the United States on March 25, 2008. It is thematically divided into two sides: the rock music of Saturday Nights and the more country-influenced Sunday Mornings. Vocalist and lyricist Adam Duritz states that...
. This show was recorded for an upcoming DVD release. The album was released on March 25, 2008.
On January 16, 2008, the band released a digital single on their official website as a free download. It features "1492" from the "Saturday Nights" half of the disc and "When I Dream Of Michelangelo" from the "Sunday Mornings" half as its B-side.
Departure from Geffen
On March 22, 2009, Duritz announced on the band's website that the band would be leaving
Geffen RecordsGeffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, with whom they had worked for 18 years. On this day a message from Duritz himself was posted on the band's homepage: a second message was posted a few weeks later. He ended the first letter with a free download of the band's cover of
MadonnaMadonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's "Borderline." The track was recorded live at the
Royal Albert HallThe Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in 2003.
August and Everything After: Live at Town Hall and covers album
Since their departure from Geffen, the band has continued to tour. During the summer of 2009, they launched the ambitious
Saturday Night Rebel Rockers Traveling Circus and Medicine Show tour with long time Bay Area friend
Michael FrantiMichael Franti is an American poet, musician, and composer. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock...
, his band Spearhead, and the band
AugustanaAugustana is an American rock band from San Diego, California who are signed to the Epic Records record label. They are best known for their singles, "Boston" and "Sweet and Low."-Beginning years:...
. Instead of the traditional concert format of a short set by an opening act, followed by a longer set from a main supporting act, and then a long set by the headlining band, the shows featured members of all of the bands joining each other for songs from each bands's catalogs at various points throughout the evening. As Duritz explained in a welcoming message on the official website for the tour, each show "is going to start with EVERYONE onstage together and we're going to all be running on & off stage all night playing one each other's songs all together and basically just playing whenever we feel like playing." The success of the first tour spawned a second in the summer of 2010 with Counting Crows and Augustana joined by rock/hip-hop artist (and formally trained jazz trumpeter) NOTAR, whom Duritz had signed to his independent Tyrannosaurus Records label, in place of Franti & Spearhead.
Following the tour, Duritz returned to his home in New York City while the other band members retreated to California. Various members began work on individual projects. Duritz has shared solo recordings and musical cover songs online, including the 7-song EP
All My Bloody Valentines recorded in February 2011, as well as his progress with recovery from several prescription drug addictions. Vickery and Bogios recorded the self-titled debut album for their side project, The Tender Mercies, a band with roots going back to the early 1990s. The album was released on October 24, 2011.
The long-awaited release of
August and Everything After: Live at Town HallAugust and Everything After: Live at Town Hall is a live album and video by Counting Crows. The DVD and Blu-ray Disc versions represent the first official live concert video release of the band's career.-Release:...
on August 30, 2011 marked the band's third professionally produced live album and the first concert video of their career. The band also returned to the studio in the Spring of 2011 to record a number of cover songs with the intention of releasing a full-length album, an idea Duritz first began publicly speaking of following the release of
Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings. Duritz confirmed while on tour with the band and through social media in the Fall of 2011 that they are in the process of mixing over 20 songs and that an album of the covers will be released in the Spring of 2012. No official release date has been set but it was stated in a recent
FacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
post that the album will be released in Mid-March. It is unclear how many of the songs will appear on the album, but Duritz announced they have recorded versions of songs by
TravisTravis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
,
The Romany RyeThe Romany Rye is a band formed by Luke MacMaster, former guitarist of Colour. Their first album, Highway 1, Looking Back Carefully, was released on October 5, 2009 with a track listing of eight songs. The band could be categorized as indie folk-rock and draws comparisons to the likes of Neil...
,
DawesDawes is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, composed of brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, along with Wylie Gelber and Tay Strathairn...
,
Sordid HumorSordid Humor was a musical band formed in 1987 by the duo of Tom Barnes and Jim Gordon. Barnes' unique vocal style and unusual phrasing was the trademark of Sordid Humor, and he went on to lend his vocals and alt-rock guitar style to Engine 88, and a solo project called the Blimp...
,
MadonnaMadonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
,
Big StarBig Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971 by Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel. The group broke up in 1974, but reorganized with a new line-up nearly 20 years later...
, Kasey Anderson & the Honkies,
Gram ParsonsGram Parsons was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist. Parsons is best known for his work within the country genre; he also mixed blues, folk, and rock to create what he called "Cosmic American Music"...
,
Joe JacksonJoe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
,
FacesFaces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie...
, and
StereophonicsThe Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...
, amongst others.
Live performances and covers
Counting Crows, and Adam Duritz in particular, have become renowned for the energetic, passionate nature of their live performances. Duritz frequently extends and rewrites songs live, adding extra verses or alternate middle sections and/or endings, sometimes fitting most of another of the band's other songs into the middle of the first. On a live performance on
Howard SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
's
SIRIUSSirius is the brightest star in the night sky. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, it is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. The name "Sirius" is derived from the Ancient Greek: Seirios . The star has the Bayer designation Alpha Canis Majoris...
broadcast radio show, he delivered an altered version of "'Round Here" that Stern said was one of the best performances in his studio he had ever heard, with anchor
Robin QuiversRobin Ophelia Quivers is an American radio personality, most notable for being the long-running news anchor and co-host of The Howard Stern Show. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Quivers graduated from the University of Maryland with a major in nursing. In 1975, she joined the United States Air Force...
agreeing. He often uses other artists' lyrics in these sections as well, ranging from well-known acts, such as
Bruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
,
Van MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
and
George GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, to obscure Bay Area bands, including revisiting material from his days working with Sordid Humor.
Most songs have been altered at some point during the band's history; the ones most often subjected to this treatment include "Round Here", "Goodnight Elisabeth", "Rain King", and "A Murder of One". Examples of this can be heard on the
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Live at the 10 Spot disc from
Across a Wire: Live in New York City (on which "Round Here" contains lyrics from "Have You Seen Me Lately?") and the
VH1 StorytellersStorytellers is a television music series produced by the VH1 network.In each episode artists perform in front of a live audience, and tell stories about their music, writing experiences and memories, somewhat similar to MTV Unplugged...
disc ("Anna Begins" has an extended mid-section with new lyrics, and the introduction to "Mr. Jones" includes lyrics from "Miller's Angels" and from
The ByrdsThe Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
' "So You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star"). Fansites have attempted to keep records of these alternate lyrics, or "alts".
The band has also become known for its acoustic performances, most notably recorded on the
VH1 StorytellersStorytellers is a television music series produced by the VH1 network.In each episode artists perform in front of a live audience, and tell stories about their music, writing experiences and memories, somewhat similar to MTV Unplugged...
disc from
Across a Wire: Live in New York City. In addition, as of Fall 2010 (and maybe earlier), the band has recorded
Coffee Covers for Sirius-XM Radio Channel-51 ("The Coffee House"), including a cover of
The Ghost in You (Psychedelic Furs).
iTunes Live from SoHoiTunes Live from SoHo is an acoustic live album by American alternative rock band Counting Crows. It is an iTunes exclusive. The latter half of the album consists of songs from their latest studio album, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings...
was recorded on March 27, 2008, at an in-store performance in the
SoHoSoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
Apple Store in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The album was an
iTunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
exclusive. It featured many songs from the band's 2008 release
Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings along with old favorites such as "Rain King" and "A Long December."
The band has drawn deep in covering artists such as
Otis ReddingOtis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
,
George HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
,
WilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
,
Rod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
,
Fairport ConventionFairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
,
Pure Prairie LeaguePure Prairie League, sometimes abbreviated PPL, is an American country-rock band whose roots began between 1964 and 1969 in Waverly, Ohio with Craig Fuller, George Powell, Tom McGrail, Jim Caughlan and John David Call. In 1970 McGrail named the band after a 19th century temperance union mentioned...
,
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
,
Jackson C. FrankJackson Carey Frank was an American folk musician.-Early life:When Jackson Frank was 11, a furnace exploded at his school, sending a ball of flames down corridors until it ended up in Frank's music classroom in the Cleveland Hill Elementary School in Cheektowaga, New York...
,
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
,
Jackson BrowneJackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
,
Grateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
,
Joni MitchellJoni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
,
Warren ZevonWarren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
,
Bruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
,
U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
,
Simon and GarfunkelSimon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
,
Psychedelic FursThe Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in 1977. Led by singer Richard Butler and his brother Tim on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk scene...
,
OasisOasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
and
The BandThe Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
.
In 2008 the band launched a new website, offering band-approved, soundboard-quality recordings of its concerts.
In February 2011 Durtiz released an indie album of cover songs he had recorded entitled
All My Bloody Valentines, in which he allowed Facebook followers to help name and design the cover art for the album. The album is allowed for free download on Duritz's soundcloud webpage. Duritz later announced that the band has continued recording a new album as an independent band. The album
August & Everything After – Live at Town Hall was released on August 29, 2011.
Bootleg recordings
The band actively encourages the recording of its concerts and the distribution of the resulting
bootleg recordingA bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
s. The band hosts a trading network on its website to enable fans to swap concert recordings. Sale of fan recordings for profit is prohibited; fans must either trade bootlegs for other bootlegs or pay for blank media, postage, and packaging. An unofficial torrent site, named Crowstown, offers a vast quantity of video and audio bootlegs for free.
Band members
Current members
- Jim Bogios – drums, vocals (2002–present)
- David Bryson – guitar, vocals (1991–present)
- Adam Duritz
Adam Fredric Duritz is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and film producer. He is best known for his role as frontman and vocalist for the rock band Counting Crows, in which he is a founding member and principal composer of their catalogue of songs.Duritz has recorded solo...
– lead vocals, piano (1991–present)
- Charlie Gillingham
Charlie Gillingham is best known for his performance on the Hammond B-3 organ, accordion, piano, and keyboards for the band Counting Crows...
– accordion, clarinet, keyboards, piano (1992–present)
- David Immergluck
David Immerglück is an American multi-instrumentalist who is best known as a guitarist in the alternative rock bands Counting Crows, Camper Van Beethoven and the Monks of Doom...
– guitar, pedal steel guitar, banjo, mandolin, vocals (1999–present)
- Millard Powers
Avery Millard Powers III is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and grammy nominated recording engineer.-Early history:...
– bass guitar, piano, vocals (2005–present)
- Dan Vickrey
Daniel Vickrey is an American musician. He has performed since 1994 as a lead guitarist in the alternative rock band, Counting Crows...
– guitar, vocals, banjo (1994–present)
Former members
- Steve Bowman
Steve Bowman is an American rock drummer and songwriter. He was a founding member and drummer for the Counting Crows during the recording and period of time following their debut album, August and Everything After. The band's unexpected success led them to performancess on Late Night with David...
– drums (1991–1994)
- Marty Jones – bass guitar (1991–1992)
- Matt Malley – bass guitar, vocals (1992–2005)
- Ben Mize – drums, vocals (1994–2002)
Discography
Studio albums
- 1993: August and Everything After
August and Everything After is the first commercially released album of the American rock band Counting Crows, released September 14, 1993....
- 1996: Recovering the Satellites
-External links:**...
- 1999: This Desert Life
This Desert Life is the third studio album from Counting Crows. The cover art is by noted comic book artist Dave McKean, best known for his work with Neil Gaiman, and is in fact an adaptation of the cover art McKean did for Gaiman's picture book The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish.-Track...
- 2002: Hard Candy
- 2008: Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings is the fifth studio album by Counting Crows, released in the United States on March 25, 2008. It is thematically divided into two sides: the rock music of Saturday Nights and the more country-influenced Sunday Mornings. Vocalist and lyricist Adam Duritz states that...
External links