OB Ranger and his trusty sidekick Indian (from the CD cover art)
Originally posted August 24, 2009
By OB Rag Staffer
“From out of a cave at the foot of Sunset Cliffs, the thundering hoof beats pound, with a hearty ‘Hi Yo Sylvia, away!’ The OB Ranger rides again.” The OB Ranger was a radio series that aired on “HIS Radio, FM stereo ninety” in 1971 and 72. It was a spoof of the old “Lone Ranger” radio show, but a lot more fun. Ranger fans tuned in every week to find out what new trouble the OB Ranger would stumble his way into.
He introduced himself with “Far out, groovy and outta sight, I am the OB Ranger!” The OB Ranger was a bumbling doofus whose job was “Raiding the dwellings of Ocean Beach in search of illegal and nefarious goings on.” With the help of his trusty sidekick “Indian”, “Ranger Chief Gus Stoppo” and secretary “Miss Melons”, our not-so-superhero was always in hot pursuit of his evil arch enemy, “Panama Red.” Only problem was that he was totally out of touch with OB culture. When he tried to use “hip” terms, he always got it wrong and Indian had to correct him. Panama Red always gave him the slip and made him look like a fool (which wasn’t that hard to do).
Some of the other characters were: “The Creepy Little Guy” (who had a “Stoned gun” and wanted to put “A kilo under every pillow”); gunslinger “Lave sus Manos”; stone faced police sergeant “Moe Friday” from “Boss Angeles”; “Grassy” the narc dog who got kidnapped by the “Odd Father”; “Mister Louise” the hair stylist who cut a peace symbol into the ranger’s hair; you get the idea. In one episode, the OB Ranger and Panama Red were running for “high office” on the OB Town Council. Panama Red’s campaign was to “Stick to the KEY issue of bustin’” in OB. “People don’t want to be busted all over town.”
OB Ranger advertisement from “The Daily Aztec” circa 1971
Since the radio station was transmitting from Mexico, XHIS could get away with a lot of things they couldn’t do in the US. (Like XERB’s Wolfman Jack before them.) Lots of drug references that might have been censored on a US station back then.
Local radio veterans Gary Allyn, Nielson Ross and Lee Mirabal produced the show. Gary was the voice of the OB Ranger. Neil did the voice of Indian, Chief Gus Stoppo, Panama Red and other male characters. Lee voiced Miss Melons and other female characters. Old timers may remember Gary Allyn from his years at KCBQ as “The world’s tallest midget.” Neil Ross worked at KCBQ and KDEO and did a lot of voiceover work. Lee Mirabal has been a talk show host and done numerous commercials and voiceovers. She is now CEO of Brainfood Radio Syndication. These were some big time radio personalities out to have some fun.
The OB Ranger was a spoof of the police tactics used against Ocean Beach residents in the early 1970s. (Those tactics were well documented at the time in the original OB rag.) Ranger Chief Gus Stoppo sounded like a jab at Police Chief Ray Hoobler. And this was all before marijuana was decriminalized in 1976, when possession of even a seed was a felony.
XHIS advertisement from “The Daily Aztec” circa 1971
HIS and HERS Radio were a pair of powerful “border blaster” FM stations transmitting from Tijuana. Studios were in the Royal Inn at the Wharf across from the Star of India. Programs were recorded on cassettes and driven down to Tijuana where they were played on the air. HIS Radio (XHIS 90.3) played rock music and competed with the old KPRI. That station is now Jammin’ Z-90. HERS Radio (XHERS 100.1) played soft rock and is no longer on the air.
Gary Allyn has released a CD with the first 18 episodes of the OB Ranger. Stay tuned, Ranger fans, for volumes 2 and 3. You can purchase the CD for $12.50 and learn more about the OB Ranger at Gary’s website.
The OB Ranger gave us a reason to laugh at ourselves during some trying times in OB. Thanks to Gary Allyn, Neilson Ross, Lee Mirabal and the people from XHIS Radio for giving us this legendary Ocean Beach icon. “Stay tuned for the next mind-expanding episode of the OB Ranger.”
More on Gary Allyn here: http://www.reelradio.com/ga/index.html
More on Neilson Ross here: http://www.reelradio.com/nr/index.html
More on Lee Mirabal here: http://brainfoodradio.com/about.htm
More on the OB Ranger here: http://www.garyallyn.com/The_O.B.html
Here is a 2008 interview with Gary Allyn in The Reader (scroll down about half way): http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/feb/29/paintbrushes-with-fame-the-70s-ob-ranger/
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Cool story Wireless Mike. It’s fun to see how things change, and how much they actually stay the same. OB Ranger seemed like quite a character. And now we have the stand-up comedy guys and gals doing their thing at Winstons every Friday where they reference a lot of OB in their acts. We also have the late night talk show at Gallaghers which focuses on OB. So it seems we have quite a history of funny mixed with social commentary in our kick-ass corner of the world.
Thanks for the memories, Wireless. I do remember the OB Ranger. Seems, as Jon pointed out, we have quite a history of funny mixed with social commentary. We’ve gone from radio figures to funny guys at the local bars.
There was also a tongue-in-cheek real-person series on local TV called “OB Law” – does anyone remember that?
I think its part of the local personality that people mix social commentary with a smart ass, sarcastic form of humor. It is quintessential OB.
I wish there was something like this still available to us…
Well by the way, I posess the original 1972-Vol.1–2record set in v.g.++.it’s one of the funniest and good listening albums I ever owned.they only produced 3500 and I’m sure the number left for the condition I have must be under 50. I’ve had my fun and recorded a few for future fun, anyone iinterested can call 1760 470 2174 (tony).we can work out a fair deal of this holy grail item.hope to hear from you soon. Thanks
… and man, do we have some smart asses on this blog! geez!
now that was a fun recall……….
and hmmmmm, Frank who would you be speaking of? come give up the names! ha ha
Thanks Mike, You Rock!
I remember listening to (X)HIS back in the early ’70’s with the OB Ranger and the images they conjured up!
I even saw a copy of an OB Ranger LP over at COW the other day, talk about a collectors item.
Great job on the history too! HIS & KPRI kicked ass back then and paved the way for KGB going FM, though KGB called it “recycling” at the time.
Very cool piece, and the CD sounds like something I want to get my hands on. Thanks for filling in the kids around here on more of the cool stuff we missed…
PSD
I bought a copy a year or so ago at Cow records on Newport.
I LOVE Cow records. It was one of my first record store experiences as a young teen. They always have something there I want. And they keep a good selection of local fav’s too. They almost always have a Beat Farmers album or two….
Thinking next paycheck I’ll follow the link and go straight to the source…but yeah, Cow f’in rocks. For the last two years I’ve slowly been stocking my collection with some of the more obscure stuff I dug when I was a kid and that my parents got me hooked on or interested in. Lots of great older stuff, but I love it for all the mid-nineties albums from when I grew up that are too old to be cool but not old enough to be classic…
A little trivia.
Frank mentions “O.B. Law.” That was a segment of a goofy local TV program called “San Diego at Large.” It was shown on KFMB Channel 8 during the mid 80’s.
It produced and starred local TV reporter and commentator Larry Himmel. It also featured Rick Rockwell who would later become the infamous millionaire on “Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?.”
When Larry moved out from Chicago in the 70’s he moved to Ocean Beach. He then become a radio personality on KPRI-FM 106 as part of the Doobie and Roach M (he was Roach) morning show and later Baba Cruz at KGB.
Where he got his inspiration for his characters is anyone’s guess. Possibly he got it from his first job in San Diego as a bartender at the Sunshine Company Saloon.
Far Out, Groovy and Outtasight Weirdless Mike, oops there I go again…
mucho thanks for that britchin article about me-oh, and yes…Indian.
Many nights I sit on Sylvia my beloved horse here in my Sunsetcliffs pud-er pad
and known by many as “The Secret Ranger Cave”, and recall those days of yore.
I was just doing my job, and now I’m collecting my Ranger SoCal Security(which
isn’t much since Calif. is broke). Indian is doing well as a croupier in a local
casino in North County. I asked him what a croupier was, and he said there was
hardly a job any croupier than what he had…so I guess he didn’t like it. Well
Mike, I have to take Sylvia to Horseicure shop to have his(yes, HIS) hooves painted.
Sylvia may finally have come out the casket—er closet. It’s either that, or he’s been
listening to too many Adam Lambert CD’s. Talk about your basic “download”.
Hi Yo Sylvia–A-waaaa-aaY!!
I was living in Imperial Beach when XHIS and the “sister” station, XHERS were broadcasting. It was such a sweet time. Icarus and music like that. Later on in life, when I had little OB rangers of my own, they grew up hearing me say “far out, groovy, and outta sight!” Even said it a couple of times, themselves, until I reminded them that they didn’t have the necessary background check or authorization from THE OB Ranger to say such things. They told me, ‘Buzz off, Dad.” Ah, yes…a better time.
Possible to please add my byline to this article, as I’m the author (and I’m not “OB Rag Staffer,” as this page header claims) – thanks!
Jay Allen Sanford
I have an original OB Ranger LP I got while in San Diego in the early 70’s. Is there any value as a collectors item?
Where can I buy a cd copy of the OB Ranger radio shows….thanks, Jamie
Oh my does this bring back memories. I can’t exactly remember any of the radio shows (FIFTY YEARS AGO?!) but what my memory did produce was a warm fuzzy feeling and a smile when I thought about hearing that show…especially while driving home in surfer vans and VW buses back from Baja surf trips with a couple of keys stashed between the interior paneling…
Hoobler was a vile representative of our species by the way.
This flashback had me digging through the hundreds of albums on the music room shelves looking to see if I still had OB Ranger records. Nope, didn’t see any but I do have a bunch of different years of the old Homegrown albums that I haven’t listened to in decades. Unfortunately my old MB Boardwalk band ‘Fine Line’ didn’t get onto one (1977-78) but we did have the dubious honor of being the band that started the MB police riot in 1977 while playing between Kingston Court and San Luis Place when the cops declared martial law and shut down Mission Beach…and I witnessed the very beginning from behind a mic and know who and how it started! It was a deliberate set-up by the cops who were not our friends…
There sure are a lot of walks down memory lane that pop up on the OB Rag, aren’t there?
By the way, I followed the link to Gary’s website thinking I just might like to buy that Ranger cd and all I got was an error message that it can’t be found. A little help?
sealintheSelkirks
Check the dates, Seal. This article is from seven years ago, and the URLs are long since abandoned.
For your listening and dining pleasure, they can now be found on YouTube!
It was a wonderful time, things were not as they are now, it was far-out and groovy. iam happy to have been there.
How about the phony commercials on HIS-FM. Thud School of Skydiving, Ron Barely Adequate School of Broadcasting & Aluminum Storedoor Company or Redneck Bar & Grill & Bar?
Are these available?
I have the original vinyl LP Tales of the OB Ranger
Still available on the collector’s market:
https://www.discogs.com/release/13815961-Gary-Allyn-Neilson-Ross-Lee-Mirabal-Adventures-Of-The-OB-Ranger-Vol-1