Joe Klein (audio)
Joe Klein (birthname Joseph Klein) (born July 2, 1953) is a well-known American audio producer, voice over artist and voice director. While in high school, Klein was at the helm of a closed circuit radio station which spawned several major media figures. After a brief stint as a teenage disc jockey he was hired by jazz singer and producer John Lasalle in the early 1970s. The pair soon became partners and produced hundreds of national radio and television commercials and jingles.
In 1977, Klein started his own production company, L.A. Trax, INC. Shortly after starting the company Klein was "discovered" by radio veteran Scott Shannon, who at the time was working for Neil Bogart's Casablanca Records. Shannon asked Klein to produce an ad for the disco version of the Star Wars theme artist by Meco Menardo. The commercial was aired nationally on hundreds of leading radio stations and was largely responsible for propelling the record to #1 after it had stalled on the charts for several weeks. Klein went on to produce hundreds of additional ads for the label over the next three years.
As the notoriety of the commercials produced by Klein grew, he began to produce record spots for other major labels, including Warner Bros. Records, Capitol Records, EMI-America, Motown, Liberty, Chrysalis, Ariola-America among others. By the early 1980s L.A. Trax was known as the leading producer of record album spots in the United States. During a fifteen-year period Klein produced over 1200 radio and television spots working with the best known voice talents and in Hollywood, including Ernie Anderson, Chuck Riley, Gene Moss, Danny Dark and actors William Shatner and Martin Sheen. The company also produced several corporate and marketing videos for major corporations before Klein closed the company in 1992.
In 1978, Klein co-produced the self-titled album of the punk rock band the Sunset Bombers which included Doug Fieger on bass. In 1988, Klein wrote and produced the novelty holiday tune "Christmas in Malibu" by the Rad Dudes. Klein also worked as a producer with surf music pioneer Merrell Fankhauser in the late 1970s.
Klein stayed active in the business as a voice over artist, represented by well known talent agent Don Pitts. Through the mid-1990s he voiced several national radio and television commercials and performed dialogue for feature films and television programs.
Joe Klein retired from "the business" in 1996 but resurfaced in 2005 when he launched The Podcast Voice Guys with long-time friend and fellow voice talent Bill Fortune. The company produces voice overs and media elements for podcasts and video blogs.
Media Appearances
- Joe Klein provided ADR dialogue for the Tom Hanks film, Turner & Hooch
- Klein provided ADR dialogue for CBS television series Murphy Brown
- Joe Klein appeared in the cameo role of Captain Klein in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Continuing Mission, "Ghost Ship"
- Joe Klein provides the show open for The Rock and Roll Geek Show Podcast
Background Information
- Klein won two Clio Awards for advertising, 1982 & 1984.
- Klein won four International Broadcasting Awards, 1980, 1982 and 1983.
- Klein was awarded 15 Gold and Platinum Records for his ad campaigns.
- Was the announcer and co-producer of the 2006 Vloggies in San Francisco
- Joe Klein is the voice of the Star Trek: The Continuing Mission ads.