Michel Colombier (23 May 1939 – 14 November 2004) was a French composer, arranger, and conductor.

Career

Colombier wrote the scores of several motion pictures and TV productions. He also wrote chamber music and ballets. With composer

Pierre Henry Henry at his home (January 2008) Pierre Georges Albert François Henry (; 9 December 1927 – 5 July 2017) was a French composer known for his significant contributions to musique concrète. Biography Henry was born in Paris, France, and bega ...

he wrote music for ''Messe pour le temps présent'', a piece created by choreographer

Maurice Béjart Maurice Béjart (; 1 January 1927 – 22 November 2007) was a French dancer, choreographer and Theatre director, opera director who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He developed a popular expressionistic form of modern ballet, tac ...

in 1967. He released an album on A&M Records, ''Wings'', in 1971, which included a collaboration with

Lani Hall Lani Hall (born November 6, 1945) is an American singer. From 1966 to 1971, she performed as lead vocalist for Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66. In 1972, Hall released her first solo album, ''Sun Down Lady''. She may be be ...

on lead vocal, his song "We Could Be Flying", with lyrics by Paul Williams. Recorded in Paris, with Colombier on piano, it was also included on the album '' Sun Down Lady'',

's first solo album after her years as lead singer for

Sérgio Mendes Sérgio Santos Mendes (; 11 February 1941 – 5 September 2024) was a Brazilian musician. His career took off with worldwide hits by his band Brasil '66. He released 35 albums and was known for playing bossa nova, often mixed with funk. He ...

and Brazil 66, released in 1972 on

A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...

. Colombier's piece "Emmanuel" was named after and written in memory of his young son, who died in infancy. It was used by the French television channel Antenne 2 (now known as

France 2 France 2 () is a French free-to-air public television channel. The flagship channel of France Télévisions, it broadcasts generalist programming including news, entertainment (such as dramas, films, and game shows), factual programmes, and sp ...

), alongside an 80-second animation known as (The Flying Men), by

Jean-Michel Folon Jean-Michel Folon (1 March 1934 – 20 October 2005) was a Belgian artist, illustrator, painter, and sculptor. Early life Folon was born on 1 March 1934 in Uccle, Brussels, in 1934. He studied architecture at the Institut Saint-Luc. Career T ...

, as part of its

sign-on and sign-off A sign-on (or start-up in Commonwealth countries except Canada) is the beginning of operations for a radio broadcasting, radio or television station, generally at the start of each day. It is the opposite of a sign-off (or closedown in Commonw ...

sequences between 1975 and 1983 in addition to the cover of the 1977 re-release of his 1971 album ''Wings''.

Death

Colombier died from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

shortly after midnight on 14 November 2004. He left behind a widow, Dana Colombier, with whom he fathered two children. He is interred in

Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary is a cemetery and Morgue, mortuary located in the Westwood, Los Angeles, Westwood area of Los Angeles. It includes a crematory for cremation services. Its location is at 1218 Glendon Av ...

, Los Angeles.

Selected film scores

* ''

Anna (1967 film) ''Anna'' is a 1967 French musical film, musical-comedy film directed by Pierre Koralnik and starring Anna Karina. Cast * Anna Karina as Anna * Jean-Claude Brialy as Serge (as J.C. Brialy) * Marianne Faithfull as a young woman at the evening da ...

'' (1967) * '' Every Bastard a King'' (1968) * '' Colossus: The Forbin Project'' (1970) * '' Law Breakers'' (1971) * ''

Un flic ''Un flic'' ('A Cop'), also known as ''Dirty Money'', is a 1972 crime thriller film, the last directed by Jean-Pierre Melville before his death the following year. It stars Alain Delon, Richard Crenna and Catherine Deneuve. Delon had previously ...

'' (1972) * '' The Inheritor'' (1973) * '' Paul and Michelle'' (1974) * ''

Steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

'' (1979) * ''

Une chambre en ville ''Une chambre en ville'' (also known as ''A Room in Town'') is a 1982 French musical drama film written and directed by Jacques Demy, with music by Michel Colombier, and starring Dominique Sanda, Danielle Darrieux and Michel Piccoli. It is set a ...

'' (1982) * '' Against All Odds'' (1984) * '' Purple Rain'' (1984) * '' White Nights'' (1985) * ''

The Money Pit ''The Money Pit'' is a 1986 American comedy film directed by Richard Benjamin and starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long as a couple who attempt to renovate a recently purchased house. The film is a loose remake of the 1948 Cary Grant comedy fil ...

'' (1986) * ''

Ruthless People ''Ruthless People'' is a 1986 American black comedy film directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and written by Dale Launer. It stars Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold, Anita Morris, and Helen Slater, with Bill Pull ...

'' (1986) * ''

The Golden Child ''The Golden Child'' is a 1986 American dark fantasy action comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie. The film stars Eddie Murphy as Chandler Jarrell, a Los Angeles social worker who is informed that he is " The Chosen One", and is destined to ...

'' (1986) * '' Surrender'' (1987) * '' The Wild Pair'' (1987) * '' The Couch Trip'' (1988) * '' Cop'' (1988) * '' Satisfaction'' (1988) * '' Who's Harry Crumb?'' (1989) * '' Out Cold'' (1989) * ''

Loverboy Loverboy is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in Calgary, Alberta in 1979. Loverboy's hit singles, particularly "Turn Me Loose (Loverboy song), Turn Me Loose" and "Working for the Weekend", have become arena rock staples and are still hear ...

'' (1989) * '' Asterix and the Big Fight'' (1989) * '' Impulse'' (1990) * '' Buried Alive'' (1990) * ''Midnight Cabaret'' (1990) * ''

New Jack City ''New Jack City'' is a 1991 American crime action film directed by Mario Van Peebles (in his feature film directorial debut) and written by Thomas Lee Wright and Barry Michael Cooper, based on a story by Wright. The film stars Wesley Snipes, I ...

'' (1991) * '' The Dark Wind'' (1991) * '' Strictly Business'' (1991) * '' Deep Cover'' (1992) * ''

Folks! ''Folks!'' is a 1992 American comedy-drama film directed by Ted Kotcheff, written by Robert Klane and starring Tom Selleck as a selfish yuppie who takes in his parents after their house burns down. It was panned by critics, earning Selleck a Raz ...

'' (1992) * '' Posse'' (1993) * '' The Program'' (1993) * ''

Major League II ''Major League II'' is a 1994 American sports film, sports comedy film and sequel to the 1989 film ''Major League (film), Major League'' and it is the second installment in the ''Major League'' film series. The film stars most of the same cast ...

'' (1994) * '' Élisa'' (1995) * '' Mary & Tim'' (1996) * ''

Barb Wire file:Barbed Wire Roll.jpg, Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire or bob wire (in the Southern United States, Southern and Southwestern United States), is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp ...

'' (1996) * '' Meet Wally Sparks'' (1997) * '' Kiss of Fire'' (1998) * '' Woo'' (1998) * '' How Stella Got Her Groove Back'' (1998) * '' Pros & Cons'' (1999) * '' Screwed'' (2000) * '' Swept Away'' (2002)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Colombier, Michel 1939 births 2004 deaths 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American musicians 20th-century French conductors (music) 20th-century French male musicians Deaths from cancer in California French ballet composers French expatriates in the United States French film score composers French male conductors (music) French music arrangers French male songwriters French songwriters French male film score composers Musicians from Santa Monica, California Musicians from Lyon Varèse Sarabande Records artists French emigrants to the United States Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery César Award winners