COLOMBIER, Michel 1939–

PERSONAL

Born May 23, 1939, in Lyon, France; father, a musician (violin and trombone); married; has children. Education: Attended a musical conservatory in Mulhouse, France, and Paris Conservatory; studied musical composition with Michel Magne.

Career: Composer, music arranger, orchestrator, conductor, keyboard performer, and recording artist. Barclay Records, worked as musical director and music arranger; musical conductor, including work with Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra; also worked as a pianist. Military service: Served in French Army.

Awards, Honors: Cesar Award nomination, best music written for a film, Academie des Arts et Techniques du Cinema, 1983, for Une chambre en ville; Grammy Award nomination, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, c. 1984, for Against All Odds; Globe award nomination, best original score, Fennecus Awards, 1985, and Golden Globe Award nomination, best original score for a motion picture, 1986, all for White Nights; Annual CableACE Award nomination, National Cable Television Association, c. 1986, for Florida Straits; Cesar Award, best music written for a film (with others), 1996, for Elisa; Grand prix, L'Academie Charles Cros, Edison Prize, and three Grammy Award nominations, all for the album Wings; Genie Award nomination, best score, Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, for the television special Wings; Tokyo Music Award, Prix de la Musique Symphonique Legere.

CREDITS

Film Work:

Music arranger, L'amour avec des si (also known as In the Affirmative and Avec des si ), Films de Pleiade, 1962.

Music arranger, The Suitor, 1963.

Music director, Steel (also known as Look Down and Die and Men of Steel ), World Northal, 1980.

Music conductor, The Money Pit, Universal, 1986.

Orchestrator, The Golden Child, Paramount, 1986.

Orchestrator, Who's Harry Crumb?, TriStar, 1989.

Music director, Asterix et le coup du menhir (also known as Asterix and the Big Fight and Asterix— Operation Hinkelstein ), Jugendfilm–Verleih, 1989.

Orchestrator, The Program, Buena Vista, 1993.

Orchestrator and music performer, Barb Wire, Gramercy, 1996.

Keyboard performer, Woo, New Line Cinema, 1998.

Film Appearances:

Himself, L'univers de Jacques Demy (also known as The Universe of Jacques Demy and The World of Jacques Demy ), 1995.

Television Work; Specials:

Music director, Portrait of Petula, NBC, 1969.

Music arranger, Petula Clark in Concert: A Sign of the Times, PBS, 2001.

RECORDINGS

Albums:

Conductor, Anna (original soundtrack recording), Polygram International, 1967.

Performer, Wings, A & M, 1971.

Performer, Nadia's Theme (The Young and the Restless) (original soundtrack recording), 1975.

Performer, V (original soundtrack recording), 1979.

Conductor, Rampal Plays Gershwin, Sony, 1985.

Performer, Romances for Saxophone, Sony, 1986.

Conductor and performer, Classic Gershwin, Sony, 1987.

Performer, Surrender (original soundtrack recording), Jive, 1987.

Conductor and performer, Moscow String Quartet: Glinka and Tchaikovsky, Sony, 1988.

Performer, Satisfaction (original soundtrack recording), K–tel, 1988.

Conductor and performer, Jean–Pierre Rampal: Music, My Love, Sony, 1989.

Conductor, Masterworks Dinner Classics: An American Picnic, Sony, 1992.

Performer, Deep Cover (original soundtrack recording), Capitol, 1992.

Conductor, Greatest Hits: Flute, Sony, 1994.

Performer, Stravinsky: Greatest Hits, Sony, 1994.

Conductor, Violin, Trumpet, Guitar, Flute: Greatest Hits, Sony, 1995.

Performer, Greatest Hits: Bernstein, Copland, Gershwin, Stravinsky, Sony, 1995.

Performer, Trippin' (original soundtrack recording), Sony, 1999.

Producer, Get Carter (original soundtrack recording), Jellybean Records, 2000.

Performer, Old Fool Back on Earth, 2002.

Performer, Dreams, FGL, 2002.

Music arranger, Die Another Day (original soundtrack recording), Warner Bros., 2002.

Producer, Swept Away (original soundtrack recording), Varese, 2002.

Music arranger and director, Musiques de Films, 1959–1990, three volumes, Sunny Side, 2002.

Also performed for the original soundtrack recording Golden Child, Capitol.

Videos:

Recorded and wrote a companion book for the educational video The World of Music: The Piano, Volume 1.

WRITINGS

Composer for Films:

Coplan, agent secret FX (also known as FX 18, Secret Agent, Accion en Mallorca, Order: FX 18 debe morir, and Uccidete agente segreto 777—stop ), Something Weird Video, 1964.

Une souris chez les hommes (also known as A Mouse with the Men and Un drole de caid ), 1964.

La famille Hernandez, 1964.

L'arme a gauche (also known as The Dictator's Guns, Guns for the Dictator, Armas para el Caribe, and Corpo a corpo ), Something Weird Video, 1964.

L'or du duc, Cocinor, 1965.

Marie–Chantal contre Docteur Kha (also known as Marie–Chantal vs. Doctor Kha, Maria Chantal contra el Doctor Kha, and Marie Chantal contro il Dr. Kha ), Interpeninsular, 1965.

Un monde nouveau (also known as A New World, A Young World, Un mondo nuovo, and Un monde jeune ), Lopert Pictures, 1966.

L'horizon (also known as Horizon ), International Cinevision, 1967.

Si j'etais un espion (also known as Breakdown and If I Were a Spy ), Compagnie Commerciale Francaise Cinematographique, 1967.

La femme ecarlate (also known as The Bitch Wants Blood, The Scarlet Lady, and La donna scarlatta ), Les Films de l'Epee/Les films la Boetie/P.E.A. Films, 1968.

Etre libre (also known as To Be Free ), Films Y.D., 1968.

Mr. Freedom, 1969, Grove Press, 1970.

Backtrack!, Universal, 1969.

Colossus: The Forbin Project (also known as Colossus, The Day the World Changed Hands, and The Forbin Project ), Universal, 1970.

Les assassins de l'ordre (also known as Law Breakers and Inchiesta su un delitto della polizia ), Compagnie Commerciale Francaise Cinematographique, 1971.

Un flic (also known as Dirty Money and Notte sulla citta ), 1972, Allied Artists, 1975.

L'heritier (also known as The Inheritor and L'erede ), Hera Films, 1973.

Tarots (also known as Angela and Autopsy ), Anchor Bay Entertainment, 1973.

Le hasard et la violence (also known as Chance and Violence, Amore e violenza, and Assassinio al sole ), VPS Film–Entertainment, 1974.

Paul and Michelle (also known as Paul et Michelle ), Paramount, 1974.

Les onze mille verges (also known as Bisexual and The 11,000 Sexes ), Oceanic, 1975.

Le couple temoin (also known as The Model Couple ), Films Paris–New York/Institut National de L'Audiovisuel, 1975.

L'alpagueur (also known as Hunter Will Get You ), 1976, Joseph Green Pictures, 1980.

Steel (also known as Look Down and Die and Men of Steel ), World Northal, 1980.

Une chambre en ville (also known as A Room in Town and Una camera in citta ), 1982.

Against All Odds, Columbia, 1984.

(With Prince) Purple Rain, Warner Bros., 1984.

(Including song "People on a String") White Nights, Columbia, 1985.

(Including songs "Cowboy Paradise," "The Heart Is So Willing," "Sittin' on a Dream," and "Skin Tight") The Money Pit, Universal, 1986.

Ruthless People, Buena Vista, 1986.

(Including song "The Chosen One") The Golden Child, Paramount, 1986.

Surrender, Warner Bros., 1987. The Couch Trip, Orion, 1988.

Satisfaction (also known as Girls of Summer ), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1988.

In extremis, Capital Cinema, 1988.

Cop, Atlantic Releasing, 1988.

The Wizard of Loneliness, Skouras Pictures, 1988.

Who's Harry Crumb?, TriStar, 1989.

Out Cold, Hemdale, 1989.

(Including song "Zonked") Asterix et le coup du menhir (also known as Asterix and the Big Fight and Asterix—Operation Hinkelstein ), Jugendfilm–Verleih, 1989.

Catchfire (also known as Backtrack and Do It the Hard Way ), Vestron, 1989.

Loverboy, TriStar, 1989.

Impulse, Warner Bros., 1990.

Midnight Cabaret, Warner Bros., 1990.

New Jack City, Warner Bros., 1991.

Strictly Business, Warner Bros., 1991.

Dark Wind, Carolco, 1991.

Diary of a Hitman, 1991.

Deep Cover, New Line Cinema, 1992.

Folks!, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1992.

Posse, Gramercy, 1993.

The Program, Buena Vista, 1993.

Major League II, Warner Bros., 1994.

Elisa, Sogepaq Distribucion, 1995.

L'univers de Jacques Demy (also known as The Universe of Jacques Demy and The World of Jacques Demy ), 1995.

Barb Wire, Gramercy, 1996.

Foxfire, Samuel Goldwyn Company, 1996.

Meet Wally Sparks, Trimark Pictures, 1997.

Claudine's Return (also known as Kiss of Fire ), Miramax Home Entertainment, 1998.

Woo, New Line Cinema, 1998.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1998.

Trippin', October Films, 1999.

Dark Summer (also known as Innocents ), Santelmo Entertainment, 1999.

Screwed, MCA/Universal, 2000.

Running on the Sun: The Badwater 135 (also known as Running on the Sun ), Galaxy Entertainment, 2000.

Next Stop, Eternity, Seventh Art Releasing, 2000.

Swept Away, Screen Gems, 2002.

Television Music; Movies:

The Other Man, NBC, 1970.

The 11th Victim (also known as The Lakeside Killer ), CBS, 1979.

Florida Straits, HBO, 1986.

Double Switch, ABC, 1987.

Desperado, NBC, 1987.

The Return of Desperado, NBC, 1988.

Desperado: Avalanche at Devil's Ridge, NBC, 1988.

Desperado: The Outlaw Wars, NBC, 1989.

Desperado: Badlands Justice, NBC, 1989.

Buried Alive, USA Network, 1990.

Sudie and Simpson, Lifetime, 1990.

The Fatal Image (also known as French Kill and Meurtre en video ), CBS, 1990.

Fatal Exposure, USA Network, 1991.

Fever, HBO, 1991.

Tagget, USA Network, 1991.

Strays, USA Network, 1991.

Dirty Work, USA Network, 1992.

Ladykiller, USA Network, 1992.

Fade to Black, USA Network, 1993.

Daybreak, HBO, 1993.

Out of Darkness, ABC, 1994.

Incident at Deception Ridge (also known as Terror at Deception Ridge ), USA Network, 1994.

Mary & Tim, CBS, 1996.

Murder in My Mind, CBS, 1997.

Buried Alive 2, USA Network, 1997.

The Right Connections, Showtime, 1997.

Color of Justice, Showtime, 1997.

Scattering Dad, CBS, 1998.The Long Way Home, CBS, 1998.

Freak City, Showtime, 1999.

Sabrina, Down Under, ABC, 1999.

Pros and Cons, Cinemax, 1999.

Warden of Red Rock, Showtime, 2001.

Deacons for Defense, Showtime, 2002.

Television Music; Miniseries:

The Rhinemann Exchange, NBC, 1977.

(With others) Testimony of Two Men, syndicated, 1977.

Television Music; Series:

The Survivors (also known as Harold Robbins' The Survivors ), ABC, 1969.

Theme music, Paris 7000, ABC, 1970.

Theme music, Shell Game, CBS, 1987.

Largo Winch (also known as Largo Winch—Gefaehrliches Erbe ), Mystery Channel (Canada), 2001.

Television Music; Episodic:

Composer for "Lower Berth," an episode of Tales from the Crypt (also known as HBO's Tales from the Crypt ), HBO; also composer for Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Television Music; Other:

Puce, 1968.

La tete a l'envers, 1972.

Le lever de rideau, 1973.

"Emmanuel," You Don't Have to Die (special), HBO, 1988.

(Including theme music) Largo Winch (pilot; also known as Largo Winch—Gefaehrliches Erbe ), 2001.

Messiah (also known as Messiah I: The First Killings ), 2001.

Messiah 2: Vengeance Is Mine, 2003.

Also composed the score for the Canadian special Wings.

Stage Music; Ballets:

Le jeune homme et la mort, 1985.

The Rabbit's Fur, Twyla Tharp Dance Company, 1987.

The Rules of the Game, Ballets de l'Opera de Paris, 1989.

A Brief Fling, American Ballet Theatre, 1990.

Ballet de laneige et du vent, 1992.

"Trazom!," Mostly Mozart Festival, New York City, 1993.

Tour of Holland, 1995.
Mandala, 1998.
Catapult, 1999.

Composer for Le bourgeois gentilhomme, performed at Comedie francaise; and Messe pour le temps present (also known as Metamorphose ).

Composer; Other:

Classical compositions include "Trois mouvements dans le style classique," 1963; "Wings," 1970; "Stanislas," 1975; "Bird Song," 1978; "Spring (The Birth Of)," 1978; "Autumn Land," 1978; "Dolorosa," 1982; "Nightbird," 1983; "Quadrachrome," 1984; "Le jeune homme et la mort" (for orchestra), 1985; "Suite francaise," 1986; and "Celebration," 1992. Composer of songs, chamber music pieces, symphonies, concertos, and video operas.

ADAPTATIONS

Some of Colombier's film music has been included in soundtrack recordings from the films. The song "Elisa" was included in the video De Serge Gainsbourg a Gainsbarre de 1958–1991, released by Universal Pictures Video, 1994. His compositions have also been recorded by other performing artists.

OTHER SOURCES

Electronic:

Michel Colombier, http://www.michelcolombier.com, April 30, 2003.