Was there two different people doing the voice for the Barney character? The episode I'm watching now doesn't sound like the same Barney I used to hear years ago.

Mel Blanc was always Barney's voice. Even after his near-fatal automobile
accident (and he was in a full body cast for months), Hanna-Barbera sent a
remote recording unit to his home after his discharge from the hospital so he
could continue working. Joe Barbera called him "a real trooper." But Mel did
modify the voice in the later episodes. In the beginning, they wanted him to
do an impression of Art Carney's Ed Norton character. He told them he didn't
do imitations but he would give them something similar. After a while, the
Barney voice we know evolved from that. But in the early episodes, yes, he
does sound more like Norton.

Mel Blanc was always Barney's voice. Even after his near-fatal automobile
accident (and he was in a full body cast for months), Hanna-Barbera sent a
remote recording unit to his home after his discharge from the hospital so he
could continue working. Joe Barbera called him "a real trooper." But Mel did
modify the voice in the later episodes. In the beginning, they wanted him to
do an impression of Art Carney's Ed Norton character. He told them he didn't
do imitations but he would give them something similar. After a while, the
Barney voice we know evolved from that. But in the early episodes, yes, he
does sound more like Norton.


Thanks because I knew I remembered a different sounding voice for Barney

Immediately following Mel Blanc's car accident in 1961 Daws Butler voiced Barney Rubble in 5 episodes of The Flintstones. After that Mel was well enough for them to bring recording equipment into his room and he returned to the role of Barney. Perhaps the episode you watched was one of those 5 episodes were Daws Butler substituted for Mel Blanc as the voice of Barney.

When Daws Butler subbed for Mel Blanc as Barney, his characterization was a bit more higher pitched than Blanc's.

I noticed the change, when Daws subbed for Mel there was a sight yogi to it.

Immediately following Mel Blanc's car accident in 1961 Daws Butler voiced Barney Rubble in 5 episodes of The Flintstones. After that Mel was well enough for them to bring recording equipment into his room and he returned to the role of Barney. Perhaps the episode you watched was one of those 5 episodes were Daws Butler substituted for Mel Blanc as the voice of Barney.

Thanks. I had forgotten that Daws Butler did fill in for Mel Blanc, as Barney
in 1960. He also alternated with Mel, as Dino, between 1960 and 1962.

Today I saw the episode from the second season where Fred and Wilma went on a second honeymoon, and it was Daws Butler doing the voice for Barney.

I noticed the change, when Daws subbed for Mel there was a sight yogi to it.

And Mel after he returned to Barney picked up and did his own original take, which was already what DAWS started doing in 1959 for Yogi.[Yogi started as a REAL Ed Norton-Art Carney voice in 1958.]

And Mel after he returned to Barney picked up and did his own original take, which was already what DAWS started doing in 1959 for Yogi.[Yogi started as a REAL Ed Norton-Art Carney voice in 1958.]

You're right. Yogi even wore a porkpie hat like Ed Norton.

...when he "became" Barney in 1960- rather than try NOT to imitate "Art Carney as 'Ed Norton'" [as Joe Barbera had in mind], he used more of a nasal whine in the initial episodes. By January 1961, he began to sound like the Barney we know and love today...and continued to do so after his near-fatal auto accident, when he recorded his dialogue with the other cast members in his bedroom for over a year while he recovered- while suspended over his bed in a full body cast!

Daws Butler indeed filled in for Mel for five episodes at the start of season two, using a slight variation of his "Yogi" voice (but not blatantly, so that you could tell both characters apart). And we all know he was the original voice of Fred in the 90 second "demo reel" that sold the series to ABC and co-sponsors Miles Laboratories and R.J. Reynolds in 1960. What you probably didn't know was that after the series began production that spring, Joe Barbera initially chose George O'Hanlon and Hal Smith to provide Fred and Barney's voices. After recording several episodes, though, Joe realized the chemistry between them just wasn't working out, and replaced them with Alan Reed and Mel [who previously worked together on radio, and were a perfect acting team], who re-recorded the voice tracks George and Hal had worked on. Barbera made it up to George a bit later by casting him as "George Jetson", and made sure Hal got plenty of supporting roles in "THE FLINTSTONES" and other H-B cartoon series.

:tv:

...when he "became" Barney in 1960- rather than try NOT to imitate "Art Carney as 'Ed Norton'" [as Joe Barbera had in mind], he used more of a nasal whine in the initial episodes. By January 1961, he began to sound like the Barney we know and love today...and continued to do so after his near-fatal auto accident, when he recorded his dialogue with the other cast members in his bedroom for over a year while he recovered- while suspended over his bed in a full body cast!

Daws Butler indeed filled in for Mel for five episodes at the start of season two, using a slight variation of his "Yogi" voice (but not blatantly, so that you could tell both characters apart). And we all know he was the original voice of Fred in the 90 second "demo reel" that sold the series to ABC and co-sponsors Miles Laboratories and R.J. Reynolds in 1960. What you probably didn't know was that after the series began production that spring, Joe Barbera initially chose George O'Hanlon and Hal Smith to provide Fred and Barney's voices. After recording several episodes, though, Joe realized the chemistry between them just wasn't working out, and replaced them with Alan Reed and Mel [who previously worked together on radio, and were a perfect acting team], who re-recorded the voice tracks George and Hal had worked on. Barbera made it up to George a bit later by casting him as "George Jetson", and made sure Hal got plenty of supporting roles in "THE FLINTSTONES" and other H-B cartoon series.

:tv:

That early nasal whine was so annoying, I'm glad Barney's voice became more Nortonesque later on. It was perfect for Barney's quick wit and genial nature. :)