Kamen was born in New York City, the second of four sons. His father Saul Kamen was a dentist, and his mother, Harriet, was a teacher. While attending the The High School of Music & Art in New York City, Michael Kamen met and became friends with Martin Fulterman (later known as Mark Snow, who composed the theme music for The X-Files among other projects). While studying the oboe, he formed a rock classical fusion band called New York Rock & Roll Ensemble, together with classmates Fulterman and Dorian Rudnytsky. The group performed their music while dressed in tuxedos. In the middle of the concert, Fulterman and Kamen would play an oboe duet. The group backed up friend and classmate Janis Ian in a concert at Alice Tully Hall in late 1967. After graduating high school, Kamen attended The Juilliard School, also in New York City.
Kamen's early work centered on ballets, thirteen in all, then expanding into Hollywood by writing the score for The Next Man in 1976, then into pop and rock arranging, collaborating with Pink Floyd on their album, The Wall.
Kamen became a highly-sought arranger in the realms of pop and rock music. His contemporaries in this field included Academy Award winner Anne Dudley, Richard Niles, and Nick Ingman. His successes include his work with Pink Floyd, David Gilmour and Roger Waters (he is one of the few people to have been invited to work with both former Pink Floyd members, after their acrimonious split), as well as Queen (orchestration on Who Wants To Live Forever), Eric Clapton (on Edge of Darkness), Roger Daltrey, Aerosmith (live orchestral version of Dream On for MTV), Tom Petty, Bon Jovi, David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Eurythmics, Queensrÿche, Rush, Metallica (on their live album, S&M), Def Leppard, Herbie Hancock, The Cranberries, Bryan Adams, Jim Croce, Coldplay, Sting, and Kate Bush. For Bush, Kamen delivered an orchestral backing for "Moments of Pleasure" from The Red Shoes album, substantially building upon a simple piano theme Bush had composed. In this instance, and many others, he conducted the orchestra personally for the recording. In 1984, Kamen had similarly heightened the impact of a pop recording for the Eurythmics "Here Comes the Rain Again", that score relying as much on his compositional skills as his arranging talents. Five years later, he did the music for For Queen and Country.
In 1990, Kamen joined many other guests for Roger Waters' performance of The Wall in Berlin and headed the National Philharmonic Orchestra during the 24 Nights sessions with Eric Clapton the following year.
Lenny Kravitz recorded a cover of "Fields of Joy" on his 1991 CD Mama Said that Michael co-wrote with Hal Fredricks.
In 2002, he was part of the Concert for George as string conductor.
Kamen had a very successful partnership with Bryan Adams and R.J. Lange composing scores and songs. The ballad "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" for the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves would be the number one song of that year, worldwide. Other songs would be "All For Love" for the movie "The Three Musketeers" in 1993, and "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" the song from the film "Don Juan DeMarco" in 1995.
Kamen wrote eleven ballets, a saxophone concerto and an electric guitar concerto (with Japanese guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei as a soloist). Additionally, he wrote a commissioned work, "Quintet," for the Canadian Brass. He also provided scores for the films such as Back to Gaya, The Dead Zone (film), For Queen and Country, Polyester, Brazil, Someone To Watch Over Me, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The Three Musketeers, Highlander, X-Men, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Licence to Kill, the Lethal Weapon series, the first three films of the Die Hard series, Mr. Holland's Opus, The Iron Giant, Splitting Heirs, Frequency, and many others. To this day the overture from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is used by Morgan Creek Productions for its logo, while New Line's corresponding theme is the opening segment of a track from Highlander. He also scored both the From the Earth to the Moon and Band of Brothers series on HBO. The trailer for the 2008 Disney/Pixar release WALL-E featured Kamen's 'Central Services / The Office' from his Brazil 1985 OST.
In television, Kamen composed music for two series of The Manageress produced by Glenn Wilhide at Zed Productions for Channel 4, but perhaps his best known work was on the 1985 BBC Television serial Edge of Darkness, on which he collaborated with Eric Clapton to write the score. The pair were awarded with a British Academy Television Award for Best Original Television Music for their work and performed the main movie theme with the National Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall of London in 1990 and 1991. In 1994, Kamen conducted an orchestration of The Who's music for Roger Daltrey's 50th birthday concert series entitled Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who which was subsequently released on CD and DVD. He also worked with heavy metal band Metallica, on a two day concert that was held in Berkeley, California, with the San Francisco Symphony. A recording of the concert, titled S&M, debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, won a Grammy for the "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" in 2000 and went multi-platinum in 2001.
Kamen was nominated for two Academy Awards and won three Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, two Ivor Novello Awards, an Annie Award and an Emmy.
His involvement with Mr. Holland's Opus, a film about a frustrated composer who finds fulfillment as a high school music teacher, led Kamen to create The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation in 1996. The foundation supports music education through the donation of new and refurbished musical instruments to underserved school and community music programs and individual students in the United States. In 2005 the foundation created an emergency fund for schools and students affected by Hurricane Katrina.
In 1999, Kamen and the San Francisco Symphony constructed and performed a concert with thrash metal band Metallica. This concert was released as a live album on DVD, VHS and CD, under the title S&M (an acronym for "Symphony and Metallica" but also wordplay on the abbreviation for sadomasochism). In 2001 and 2002, Kamen performed with David Gilmour at Gilmour's semi-unplugged shows at the Royal Festival Hall, playing piano and cor anglais. The 2001 concert and highlights from 2002 were released as a DVD as David Gilmour in Concert.
In 2002, Kamen, along with Julian Lloyd Webber, Dame Evelyn Glennie, and Sir James Galway launched the Music Education Consortium in the UK. The consortium's efforts led to the injection of £332 million for music education in the UK. He was also commissioned to write a piece for the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Kamen was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1997. He died in London from a heart attack in 2003, at the age of 55. His last recorded work appeared on Bryan Adams's album Room Service where he played the oboe and wrote the orchestration to "I Was Only Dreamin'". Kamen had also completed the charts for accompaniment to two songs on Kate Bush's album Aerial, which was released in April 2005. Some of Bush's fans, pleased by Kamen's scoring of "Moments of Pleasure" from Bush's 1993 album The Red Shoes, expressed gratitude when it became known that the work had been finished.[citation needed]
In 2004, when Annie Lennox accepted the Academy Award for Best Original Song (her composition "Into the West" from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), she dedicated her achievement to the memory of Kamen.
The 2004 movies First Daughter and Boo, Zino & the Snurks|Back To Gaya, which he was working on at the time of his death, were dedicated to his memory.
David Gilmour's 2006 album On an Island was dedicated in his and longtime Pink Floyd manager Steve O'Rourke's memories.
Michael Kamen is survived by his wife, Sandra Keenan-Kamen, and by his daughters, Sasha and Zoe.
"Beside You"
Michael Kamen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's where my dream began
I left my worries to the people who stare
And dream without a care
That i'd always be beside you to watch the day and night
And we'd listen to the sunrise and feel its growing light
And peace will come inside
Whereever we're goin' i dont know
For million years our love keeps growin'
The mystery deepens day by day
But trust my love and hear me say
That i'll always be beside you to watch the day and night
And we'd listen to the sunrise and feel its growing light
And peace will come inside
So quiet
And peace will come inside
So quiet
Guess i'll always be beside you to watch the day and night
And we'd listen to the sunrise and feel its growin' light
And peace will come inside
So quiet
Yes peace will come inside
So quiet
The lyrics of Michael Kamen's song "Beside You" convey a sense of comfort, reassurance, and stability. The song begins by describing the singer's journey, following a river that leads them to a dreamlike world where worries fade away and peace reigns. The envisionment of 'leaving worries to the people who stare and dream without a care' speaks to the transformative power of nature, which can take us away from our concerns and allow us to experience the serenity of being in the moment. The lyrics express the singer's unwavering commitment to always be beside the person they love, to share in the wonders of the world, and to connect with nature's rhythm. The repeated phrase of "I'll always be beside you to watch the day and night, and we'd listen to the sunrise and feel its growing light" communicates the idea that life is ultimately about sharing experiences together, supporting one another, and taking in the beauty of the world around us.
The song's final verses assert the longevity of love, with the singer declaring that their love will continue to grow over millions of years, while also admitting that the future is always uncertain. However, the lyrics convey a deep sense of trust, as the singer encourages their loved one to have faith in their bond and simply enjoy the present moment. Ultimately, the song's message is one of hope, of finding refuge in the beauty of the world and in the connection we share with those we love.
Line by Line Meaning
We follow the river down into the stream
We journey through life, embracing the unknown and allowing fate to lead us to new experiences and opportunities.
That's where my dream began
The journey we're taking is a reflection of my lifelong dream that has just started to materialize.
I left my worries to the people who stare
I choose to focus on enjoying this moment, rather than worry about the fleeting opinions of those who judge me.
And dream without a care
I allow myself to dream without any self-imposed limitations or boundaries, so that my dreams may take me anywhere.
That I'd always be beside you to watch the day and night
No matter what life throws our way, I'm committed to standing beside you and supporting you as we journey through the ups and downs of each day and night.
And we'd listen to the sunrise and feel its growing light
Together, we will appreciate the beauty of each new dawn and appreciate the subtleties of its growing light as a symbol of hope and possibility.
And peace will come inside so quiet
As we bask in the simple joys of life, we shall also feel a sense of quiet inner peace that comes from being attuned to our souls.
Wherever we're goin' I dont know
Despite the unknowns of the future, I am committed to taking this journey with you and following our hearts wherever they may lead.
For million years our love keeps growin'
Our love continues to grow and evolve over time, just as it has for millions of years before us.
The mystery deepens day by day
As we move forward in our relationship, the mystery of what the future holds continues to deepen, but we remain committed to exploring it together.
But trust my love and hear me say
I am confident in our love and want you to trust in it too, even as we embrace the uncertainty of the future.
That I'll always be beside you to watch the day and night
Once again, I want to assure you of my unwavering commitment to you and to being there for you through both the joys and challenges of each day and night.
And peace will come inside so quiet
Through the ups and downs of life, we will strive to maintain a sense of inner peace and calm that comes from being true to ourselves and our relationship.
Guess I'll always be beside you to watch the day and night
I repeat my promise to remain a constant presence in your life, no matter what comes our way.
And we'd listen to the sunrise and feel its growing light
Once again, I emphasize that our journey will be one of appreciation for life’s simple yet profound experiences, such as the beauty of the sunrise and its growing light.
And peace will come inside so quiet
Our journey will be punctuated with moments of inner peace and calm, that comes from a feeling of being fully alive in the present moment.
Yes peace will come inside so quiet
I reiterate that our journey will lead us to find that elusive inner peace and calm that feeds our souls.
Contributed by Max R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@IcyIce17
We follow the river down into the stream
That's where my dream began
I left my worries to the people who stare
And dream without a care
That I'd always be beside you to watch the day and night
And we'd listen to the sunrise and feel its growing light
And peace will come inside
So quiet
Wherever we're goin' I don't know
For million years our love keeps growin'
The mystery deepens day by day
But trust my love and hear me say
That I'll always be beside you to watch the day and night
And we'd listen to the sunrise and feel its growing light
And peace will come inside
So quiet
And peace will come inside
So quiet
Guess I'll always be beside you to watch the day and night
And we'd listen to the sunrise and feel its growin' light
And peace will come inside
So quiet
Yes peace will come inside
So quiet
@kennethteo7974
I lost my wife, this song helped us connect deeply.
@alessiobrancaccio2308
Wonderful song soundtrack of the film What Dreams May Come of 1998, with the unforgettable Robin Williams and Annabella Sciorra.
A big hug to Mick from Italy!
🤗❤️
@waynebreier
I first heard this song on what dreams may come back in the 90s and it’s beautiful. So is the film , such an emotional rollercoaster .
@christineclement7532
Emotionally very deeply felt song as beautiful as the movie.😢
@luciapereira4975
Você sempre surpreende meu ruivinho.👏👏👏😍💫💫💫❤️❤️🇧🇷
@gproductions9429
My wedding song back in 2011! Thanks Simply Red!
@wandaschmitz4775
beautiful....
@deborahwatson5159
Awww, thanks so much Mick Hucknall & Simply Red, a lovely song in what the Whole World is going through right NOW, Stay Safe and Well, xx 😢
@nelsonontiveros9935
Hermosa
@porbenjamas
I miss this beautiful song and beautiful film so much.