B 17 Bomber - Southern Voice Inspiration?

[Denicio]

So, my mind wandered today...as it sometimes does and i could not help but think that the inspiration for the Southern Twangy voice in B17 bomber had to be inspired by Slim Pickens character in Dr Strangelove (Major Kong) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001620/?ref_=tt_cl_t5

 

The Fact its a Bomber and his character with a pronounced country voice rides a bomb into oblivion....cant be coincidence.

 

Is there any insight to the twangy voice they used? Be neat to know some details.

 

D

Edited February 9, 2017 by Denicio

[mr_me]

This was the Bomb Squad podcast but they go into detail about the Intellivoice. I could be wrong but I think they mention Slim Pickens

 

http://intellivisionaries.com/episode-5-bomb-squad/

2:31:28 Interview with Keith Robinson and Joey Silvian (part 1)

3:00:37 Game Gavel Promo

3:00:49 Interview with Keith Robinson and Joey Silvian (part 2)

3:39:42 Wrap-up and sign off (Treasured by Paul Nurmix Nurminen)

[Denicio]

Thanks! I will listen to it.........at 2 hours and 30 minutes in ..ahem.

[mr_me]

Not much on B17 Bomber in that segment. They did mention that the voice actors were from a local theatre company. They might have brought their own inspirations. It was said that for the Space Shuttle game they flew someone in from Houston to do voice recordings for the authentic accent.

[onmode-ky]

There is some info about this at the Intellivision Lives page on Intellivoice games. Specifically, it says:

 

FUN FACT: One of the characters in the game has a pronounced Southern accent. A few customers, hearing the drawl "Buheee-Sevunteen Baaahmmmer" on the title screen, sent the cartridge back as defective. (The character, described in Joey Silvian's script as: "Southern accent, laid back, slow drawl even under fire, talks like sittin' in a cotton field on a sunny day watchin' the bees buzz," was voiced by Phil Austin, a member of The Firesign Theatre comedy group.)

Elsewhere on the page, it also says:

 

All Intellivoice games had scripts by the Creative Media Department (Joey Silvian, Brad Geagley, Glenn Stello) to develop distinct personalities for the voices. Voices were recorded at Fred Jones Recording Services in Hollywood, directed by Joey Silvian.

So, it doesn't say whether or not that particular voice was inspired directly by Dr. Strangelove, but the accent was specified in the game's original script, by the same man who did the voice direction.

 

onmode-ky

[Denicio]

Thanks for the heads up on this. Until further notice i will believe that its a Dr Strangelove reference. Has to be!

 

My family comes from the cotton fields of North East Arkansas. My dad took a job with a bank that thankfully moved his bumpin arse to memphis (wooo hoo, big city). So i was born/raised here in Memphis. As a kid, i'd fire up B17 for an afternoon of play. When the intro came in "Mattel Electronics Presents Beeeee Sevunteen Baaaaaammmmmmer" i'd hear my mom cackle with laughter.

 

Oddly we never thought it was defective....rather it sounded like relatives we knew!!! HA!

 

Side note: After my dad's first viewing of the movie 'Sling Blade' his instant response was "That carl character sounds like uncle willie". Tru dat! Man, i am one generation away from pure white meth-head arkansas trash!!

[doctorclu]

I had a friend who had a strong accent and later in life when he was nearly blind he would use the voice option for texting friends. Was awesome to see what those texts would kick out.

 

Anyway, have always loved that intro to B-17 Baaaaammmmer.