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Profile: John Sachs: Son of famous actor and voice-over Andrew Sachs (Fawlty Towers' Barcelonian waiter Manuel), it is highly likely that you'll know the voice of John Sachs, even if you don't know the face. John has over 25 years of experience in the media industry with most of those being as a radio and television broadcaster. In 1978, he spent time at Swansea Sound, Radio Tees, Radio Hallam and BBC Radio 1 all in presentation roles. However in 1979, he began what would turn out to be a 12 year tenure at London's Capital Radio and in that time he was presented with many awards including a Silver World Radio Award and Independent Local Radio Presenter of the Year, the latter from the Variety Club of Great Britain. John has also worked on Jazz FM's Breakfast Show - a move he made in 1991 and he also hadd a stint on BBC Radio 2 presenting 'Much More Music' and the concert series 'John Sachs Presents'. During his radio career, John has also worked in the US for Florida's Y100.
John's television work has been as equally reputable, although he has worked mostly off-screen. John was the commentator on 8 National Series and 1 International Series of London Weekend Television's Saturday night show 'Gladiators' and along with us had to put up with John Fashanu's irritating 'Awooga' at the end of the shows Fash hosted. His voice has also been heard introducing/announcing on 'The Brian Conley Show', 'The World Music Awards', 'Take Your Pick', 'The BAFTA Awards', 'Trained To Win', 'Rory Bremner - Who Else?', 'Surprise Surprise' & 'The Freddie Starr Show' as well as many others.
But John's voice hasn't just been restricted to programmes. With the ability to adapt his voice to virtually any style, he's voiced commercials for a string of national newspapers and for commercials for products such as MFI, Texas Homestores, Duracell Batteries, Aquafresh Toothpaste, Pedigree Chum, Pepsi Cola, Coca Cola, Allied Carpets, Harmony Hairspray, Schwarzkopf Hair Products, Batchelors Cup-A-Soup, Kit-e-Kat and many more. He's also provided a service to scores of high street, national and international brands for in-store and other promotional work including WHSmith, Blockbuster Video, Virgin Atlantic and Woolworths and you may also have heard him voicing commercials and trailers for Disney Videos & DVDs as well as many other film and video distributors - go on - dig out a video - chances are that John's voice will be heard on many of the tapes you have in your home. If you often pay close attention to new CD releases on television commercials, John may also crop up telling you about it, especially with his soft mellow tones on Love and Classical Compilation releases.
Other voiceover work has included trailers for ITV, SKY, CNN, the BBC, LWT, Capital Radio, BBC Radio and many other radio stations around the world too. Get on a aeroplane for your holiday and you may hear John entertaining you on BA, Emirates Sports, Sri Lankan and Continental Airlines. Sit down in your office and you might even see or hear John on corporate videos - put on a talking book, watch a TV documentary, call an automated ticket line, and chances are you'll hear his voice - such is the depth and diversity of the work of John Sachs.
On-screen work has included Continuity - that's on-screen programme introduction (not just voice as is now the norm) for both Thames and London Weekend Television, and he's also presented on 'Thames Reports' for Thames Television and ITV's 'Barbara Dickson Special'. However, one of John's more prominent on-screen television jobs was a presenter for BBC1's Quiz Show 'Four Square' which aired from 1990. Invented by Toby Freeman, the game involved two players trying to collect as many points as possible - it started with 'Pair The Squares' - a grid of squares with symbols, a bit like card game 'Pelmanism', but in this case, contestants had to turn the squares to their colour having found the most matches and therefore formed a 'four-square' - a bit like Bob Holness did in 'Blockbusters', John delightfully announced '..and that's Four Square....'' Other rounds included 'Pick A Picture' - where contestants did the obvious to reveal a picture and question. Having answered a question correctly, the square turned to their colour, but if wrong, it turned to their contestant's colour and so the 'Four Square' thesis continued - gremlin squares in this round omitted the question and merely turned the competitors' colour just to add some additional tension. Then there was the nightmare of all game-show nightmares - 'The Maze'. In 60 seconds, John presided over contestants having to negotiate this, as a arrow moved around junctions every five seconds, and 'True' or 'False' questions were read out and the finalist had to clobber the appropriate button whilst shouting out the right answer. The music was an exciting point and added to the tension in a style only now surpassed by the musical arrangements of top game show 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'. The show ended with John's immortal catchphrase to "Join us next time and pull up a chair for a game of Four Square". Despite all the other game shows to have been repeated on UK Gold and Challenge TV, to date, 'Four Square' has not been dusted off yet.
With the need to use his voice, you would expect there would be a need to do some considerable writing - and John continues to be prolific in this side of the media too. He has written two best sellers as co-writer with former newspaper editor Piers Morgan, he has written sketches and live performances, particularly for impressionist Rory Bremner, Harry Enfield, Julian Clary, Jonathan Ross, Little & Large, Brian Conley & Kenny Everett. John has also written articles for many national newspapers and has even had his fair share of music chart success. He wrote and produced "Holiday Rap" for Monty MC, and was also involved in production of 'N-N-Nineteen Not Out' for The Commentators featuring Rory Bremner, a number 13 in June 1985 and 'Pack Jammed With The Party Posse' for Stock, Aitken & Waterman, a number 41 in December 1987. John has also put together many compilation albums for several major record labels around Europe.
In 1992, John started 'Talking Heads Voice Agency' which is the home to many top voice-overs and celebrities including Kevin Duala (Nick Jr & Challenge TV), Noel Edmonds, commentator Clive Tyldesley, Trevor & Simon, John Craven, David Prever, ex-England footballer Ray Wilkins, Eamonn Holmes, David Jensen, Gloria Hunniford and of course, John himself.
In 1993, John founded 'Talking Heads Productions' and as such, has a control in the production of TV and radio commercials for scores of what are called 'Blue Chip Clients' in the trade. He's also been influential in TV projects such as a spin-off of Fawlty Towers including his father, for ITV, has successfully put together large sponsorship deals for GWR Radio Group and John has also supervised the musical content of films including 'The Merchant Of Venice' and 'Divine Rapture'. Additionally, the musical talents of Hayley Westenra and Andreas Scholl have also been brought in by none other than John Sachs. His consultancy work is offered to many advertising agencies and it is regularly in demand.
John is the Co-founder of Blackburn-Sachs Associates - another highly successful string to his metaphorical bow - with this firm representing and promoting the skills of broadcasters and celebrities such as Steve Rider, Jonathan Pearce, Sonia, Chris Eubank, former Radio 1 presenter and 2005 Celebrity Big Brother housemate Lisa I'Anson and David Jensen. His co-founder in the company, also formed in 1993, is agent to the stars, Anthony Blackburn.
John has retained his connections with radio - he is a group programme controller and director of INB Holdings, which, in just 18 months has collected a network of 7 radio stations including Resort Radio, Cruise FM, Retail Radio and Holiday FM which have English speaking radio stations in the Med and around Europe. Despite having left Capital Radio some time ago, John has retained his links with the company behind the latter holiday station. Holiday FM Radio is a project from that very stable and John is both and investor in and the Programme Director of the station which offers well known presenters and familiar programming elements to assist UK residents on their holidays in feeling at home. John's 'Talking Heads' Agency provides the advertising and sponsorship production services for the radio station which works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to support UK travellers.
LINKS/ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: www.johnsachs.co.uk / www.talkingheadsvoices.com / www.holidayfm.co.uk