Desert Center, California founded by:
Stephen A. (Desert Steve) Ragsdale in 1921

Actual Facts as lived by: Doc Quinn

I pour my heart out in thanks to Mr. Cliff Houck for making this jam what it is today!

I want to share with everyone how the song "Stones Throw From Hell" came about.

As a kid, around early to mid sixties I once lived a summer and a few more weeks in Desert Center, California. One hell of a hot place. Desert Center was eight miles west of a town populated with three people back then and that town at that time named Hell, California. I plainly remember reading the state sign. "Welcome To Hell, California. Population 3"

Well as you can imagine, there is not a whole lot to do in the desert once a kid gets burnt out on roaming around and checking out everything he could find. So.....

We used to hang at the only service station (Standard) in town and wait for the travelers to stop in. It almost never failed, when these people would get out of there automobile they would ask, where can we buy some beer? Well, that was our cue, we just couldn't wait to tell them to "Go To Hell". They would give us kids the funniest look and then we would tell them that Hell was another eight miles east. We would then inform them that Desert Steve (Steve Ragsdale, town owner) didn't allow beer in our city! This is just a lil' thing I remember doing as a kid the summer I was there. The reason I was there was because my Father was working for Kaiser up on Eagle Mountain. Just north of Desert Center.

Now to the birth of the lyrics "Stones Throw From Hell".....

Just a few years back I was sitting in the same old cafe' there in Desert Center, Ca. having a strawberry milkshake when I noticed a fine new black car drive up in front  and park. (I still stop by there from time to time to just remember the good times I had there as a kid). Anyways, this nice looking couple (Veronica Evans & James Towner) get out of this fine ride and stroll inside and sit at the cafe' counter. Man, I could see the money on these folks. What ever they done or do in life had surly been real good to them.

Anyways, after sitting there for a bit the gentleman (James Towner) ask me if I knew anything about the area? I was reluctant to tell him that I had roamed every inch of the surrounding fifty miles due to the fact that I figured he wouldn't believe me so, I just said, yes Sir, I know a little about the area. I explained to the both of them that I had lived there as a kid and that I just like to come back and sit on the same old stools that I had sat on 40 years or so ago! They thought that was a cool thing. These were real nice peoples for sure!

I shared with them the same story I just shared with you about us kids having fun with the travelers at the service station that would ask where they could buy beer and a few other little funny stories from them days. They thought the stories were cute and I had fun telling them. well....

As the time passed, they began to tell me that they were there on that day to finalize the purchase of some property they had just bought in the area. They shared with me that they were tired of the hustle bustle of Chicago, Illinois and were moving to just down the road from Corn Springs outside of  Desert Center. I ask them exactly where they were talking about and they told me again. I guess I must of had a dumb look on my face when they answered because I saw them both stare at me pretty hard but, these folks just bought "Hell".

Now not to many years ago I stopped in at Hell, Ca. to see what was goin' on and there was nothing there that would ever indicate that there used to be a town there named Hell, Ca. No signs, no trailer that used to be there and no peoples at all, nothing, just sand!

Did I have the heart to tell them that they had just signed the papers for the purchase of Hell, no I didn't, because I figure that, one mans hell could be the next mans haven, (a place of refuge, or rest). I sat there for a bit more and then bid them good-bye. We went outside and shared our names with each other and I climbed up in my truck and hit the road. They are really nice people!

In less than twenty five miles the lyrics to
"Stones Throw From Hell" was completed!

I shared this story and lyrics with Mr. Cliff Houck some time back and he loved it so much that I asked that he help me record it and after JDW Entertainments finished the final mix, I gave the song, jam, tune to Cliff as a gift!

The jam is what it is today because of the fine slide guitar work of  Mr. Cliff  Houck, the backing track of Marvin Taylor's "Band In The Pocket", the production of JDW Entertainments, Paris, Texas and them fine people (James Towner and Veronica Evans) I met that hot summer day there just down the road from Corn Springs, just a .....
"STONES THROW FROM HELL".

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