Desert Rat

MUSICIANS: Michael Martin Murphey-Vocals & Acoustic Guitar; Ryan Murphey-Rhythm Acoustic Guitar; Craig Nelson-Acoustic Bass; Andy Hall-Dobro; Andy Leftwich-Mandolin & Fiddle, Charlie Cushman-Banjo.

Calvin Black (“Calico Cal”) inspired “Desert Rat”. He was a good friend when I lived in the San Gabriel Mountains of California, high over the Mojave Desert. Cal lived close to Calico, a ghost town that so seized my interest that Larry Cansler and I wrote an entire suite of over 20 songs about it for Kenny Rogers and the First Edition – ”The Ballad of Calico”. During my visits to Calico to commune with the Ghosts of Old West Past, I’d stop off to visit “Calico Cal” and his wife, Ruby – authentic desert rats. Cal was a folk artist who carved figures from cast-off wood, collected rocks and gemstones, ran a junkyard, and sold soda pop and candy to tourists. After Cal died of a heat stroke, Ruby put up a sign that said: “WE DON’T KNOW WHERE MA IS, BUT WE GOT POP ON ICE!“.