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Collective Soul are an alternative rock/post-grunge band from Stockbridge, Georgia, USA. Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s they have enjoyed major commercial popularity on alternative rock and mainstream rock radio. They became one of the most successful rock bands of the 1990s.

They have composed hook-laden lush melodies on top of heavy fluent guitar riffs reminiscent of classic rock and hard rock artists from the 70s and 80s. Some of their main influences are Elvis Presley, Elton John, The Cars and The Beatles. Some have called Collective Soul a Christian rock band, a styling the band has repeatedly denied. They do, however, admit that their lyrics are often spiritual in nature.

Before Stardom

Collective Soul broke through in 1994 after being signed to Atlantic Records. The band originally started out as "Marching Two Step" in 1989, which included current lead singer Ed Roland, Shane Evans, and two other members. Prior to their breakthrough, the band went through various lineup changes. Roland had been working at "Real 2 Reel Studios" in Atlanta for a while doing production and studio work for local artists. The studio was owned by Will Turpin's father. Roland recorded an independent solo album on Core/Oxymoron called Ed-E-Roland in 1991. The album is now out of print and is extremely rare but can be found on eBay. All of the original band members grew up together while still schoolchildren at Stockbridge, Georgia. They had all been musically involved with one other in some form for many years and had gigged around Atlanta to low turnout shows. Roland is several years older than the other band members.

Atlantic Records - major label years 1994-2001

They released their first album Hints, Allegations & Things Left Unsaid on March 22 - 1994. The album was originally released/recorded in 1993 on the Rising Storm Records indie label based in Atlanta. It was comprised of songs that Ed Roland had written and recorded as songwriter/composer demos in hopes of getting a publishing deal. The album sold very well behind major label promotion, eventually going double-platinum in 1996. The album's sound was similar to the grunge sound that many other bands adopted in the early 1990s. A visual manifestation of this can be seen in the video for the song "Shine," which portrays the band members in a simple setting with long hair, flannel shirts, and denim jeans (thus giving the band an image comparable to other post-grunge bands at the time such as Silverchair and Candlebox). "Shine" became the #1 Album Rock Song of 1994 and won a Billboard award for Top Rock Track, it was one of the biggest hits of the year. Ross's guitar solo in this track is still considered as one of his best. (Country diva Dolly Parton would later cover "Shine", and win a Grammy by doing so.) The subsequent single "Breathe" had moderate success. The band performed at Woodstock 1994 to over 150,000+ people, among many popular music artists. Their performance was judged as decent, considering they were totally new to big time commercial success. This event marked the 25 year anniversary tribute to Woodstock 1969 . During the albums commercial run, the band went out on extensive touring doing many shows all over North America. They even landed a dream gig, warming up for rock superstars Aerosmith.

In 1995 they returned to the studio to record their highest-selling album to date, the self-titled Collective Soul. All members contributed to the album. It was certified triple-platinum in 1996 and spent an incredible 76 weeks on the Billboard 200, making it a blockbuster success. The album showcased heavy riffs, grunge and classic rock influences while maintaining the band's own originality. The album had 3 singles peak at #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart ("December," "The World I Know" and "Where The River Flows"), "Gel" and "Smashing Young Man" received lots of airtime. "December" won a Billboard award for top rock single of 1995. The album's singles continued to get lots of radio spins for the next 2 years. MTV and Much Music regularly showed their videos on numerous occasions and interviewed the band. They hit a supreme high with their radio success, few rock bands have this much success with rock singles. They went on a lengthy North American tour and spent part of it supporting rock legends Van Halen. Many people said they did not think that the band would be around for long. Despite this, Collective Soul's success and fanbase would continue to grow.

The band's third studio effort released in early 1997, Disciplined Breakdown had a different stylistic vibe than previous albums. Prior to the album's release, the band had gone through a long and bitter lawsuit with former management who guided the band from 1993-1996. The opposition made various accusations regarding who was really behind their success and the ownership to the name and rights of "Collective Soul" and their assets. This was a dark and frustrating period on a personal and professional standpoint for the band especially Ed Roland. Despite this, they were still finding success with their music. The guys were left with little money in terms of income, forcing them to record the album in a cabin-like studio. The record displayed darker more blunt lyrical content. Perhaps Ed Roland's most avant-garde writings to date. However the record did not sell as well as the previous two albums. It did have two #1 US rock hits with "Precious Declaration" and "Listen". Third single "Blame" did very well nearly making the Top 10. In Canada they were maintaining their popularity which was similar to their success in the USA. Critics and experts did not favor this album as much as the fans. However it did showcase more creative depth than their previous two albums. They also gave a high profile performance at Much Music's Snow Job 97' in Canada.

In early 1999, Collective Soul released their fourth Dosage after a few delays. The band chose to experiment with more radio-friendly pop sounds, electronic effects and loops while aiming for a more polished pop/rock sound that could appeal to a larger mainstream audience. The intitial singles "Heavy" and "Run" were simultaneously released to radio. "Heavy" became a massive hit on rock radio staying at #1 for a then-record-breaking 14 weeks. "Run," a soft rock ballad had success on Pop and Hot AC. "No More, No Less" and "Tremble For My Beloved" both received moderate airplay. They recorded a video for the non-charting single "Needs", this video had some very neat visuals and special effects and remains a top favorite among their fans. Dosage eventually went platinum, though much slower than expected. Collective Soul had maintained their place as one of the most successful rock bands of the 90's. They were among the big name performers at Woodstock 1999 and "Edge Fest" 1999 adding to their impressive list of high profile gigs.

In late 2000, Collective Soul released its fifth studio album, Blender. Their image and album focused more on "bubble-gum pop/rock" clichés and styles than ever before however, the guys still remained a legitimate rock band. The image and style changes were a definite shift compared to the mid 90's. Though Collective Soul were always marketed by Atlantic Records for commercial/mainstream appeal and needed to evolve with the music industry in order to maintain commercial success. They used more modernized recording techniques than before, using Digitech/Digidesign Pro-Tools recording gear. The album achieved only moderate success in comparison to their past works but still did well by industry standards. It was their fifth straight album to debut in the Top 25 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at # 3 in Canada, their highest debut. It was certified Gold in a few months but only had one big hit with "Why, Pt. 2". Sugar coated "Perfect Day" (with Elton John) and "Vent" were moderate radio hits. Their reputation as an impressive live act continued to grow as a result of tireless touring and musical endeavours. They had to cancel a long string of tour dates due to the Sept 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The reviews for Blender were the most negative they had ever had during the bands career so far. Since 1994 they had been criticized along with Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, Creed and many other post-grunge bands for being too cliché and re-arranging sounds and techniques used by "influential bands". However, everyone knows these bands have their own unique qualities. Critics questioned their choice of "image" and were saying that Collective Soul had become a "gimmicky pop-rock band". This was rather untrue, they still played their instruments with skill, despite the technological advances.

Ross Childress took his guitar playing to highers levels while touring. During later gigs he experimented more frequently and mixing effects while showing how proficient he had become with his lead and rhythm playing. Though he wasn't considered ground-breaking or innovative, he could always perform fairly complex guitar work. Ross was never the type of guitarist to play more than what fit the song during studio recording. His style wasn't meant to be innovative, but creative and appropriate. Though at many times he did use complicated chord structures and techniques that many other technically advanced players use. He kept his solos short and to the point.

In 2001, they went to Morocco to do acoustic/jam performances of some of their hits/favorites at various cultural settings. This was later packaged into a DVD/Video release sold in stores and online. Live from Morocco. They embarked on this adventure in the midst of locals, markets and desert areas of the beautiful lands. The DVD showcases them interacting and perfoming with the citizens and children in a laid back vibe. The performance was aired on MTV, Much More Music and VH1.

In a difficult change of line-up, longtime original lead guitarist and childhood friend Ross Childress left the band in late 2001 after being with them since the very beginning. Initially many fans and media were shocked and confused. The band released a statement on their website briefly stating that Ross was no longer a member. Though this press release did not give any core details, trying to avoid unwanted attention, it was rumored to be a very personal situation. Speculation among fans would continue for years to come. Replacing Ross on tour was long time guitar technician Joel Kosche, who would later be named an official member.

Collective Soul completed their contract with Atlantic Records in Late 2001, after fullfilling their agreement when they released 7EVEN Year Itch. This was a Greatest Hits retrospective spanning their 7 years with the big label. The record featured many of their biggest hits and included 2 new tracks "Next Homecoming" and "Energy". "Next Homecoming" did moderately well as a single. This album sold steadily over the long run, eventually surpassing "Blender". After their departure from Atlantic, the band took some time off to rest, although they still did many gigs spread out over a couple of years. These gigs included various festivals and clubs. Over the following 2 1/2 years, many people, especially radio stations had assumed that the band had broken up. This wasn't the reasons for their silence.

Independent Artist - EL Music Group

In November 2004 they lauched a new website, and released their long awaited sixth studio album, Youth, on their own indie label, El Music Group. They had re-recorded the album a couple times over two years and delayed a few release dates. The album debuted at a respectable #66 on the Billboard 200, after a string of promotional gigs and radio appearances. The band scored a Top 10 hit with "Counting The Days". The record showcased a revitalized band ready to hit the road and things were back to normal. The record was still along the lines of pop/rock, but was more balanced than Dosage and Blender. The 2nd single, "Better Now" was a huge hit on Hot AC and Pop formats. Their tour lasted for over a year including several gigs in Canada. The third single "How Do You Love" became a Top 20 hit on Adult Top 40 radio. The album sold over 225,000 copies in its first year of release, relying on steady sales, rather than huge sales in the beginning.

In May 2005, they released an eight song acoustic EP compilation titled From the Ground Up, which had acoustic versions of some favorites. This project was long awaited and a welcomed addition to their catalogue.

Original drummer Shane Evans was not on tour during 2005 and 2006 and his status in the band is un-confirmed, despite many rumors and speculation on their official message boards. Session/studio drummer Ryan Hoyle has been the drummer during touring and is credited with playing on eight of the 11 songs on "Youth". The band has not confirmed whether or not Evans will be back.

Collective Soul performed two shows with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra on April 23 and 24, 2005. A DVD and CD of the performances was released in February 2006. On February 6, 2006, they appeared on the Howard Stern Radio show to re-record music which was lost to Stern's old contract with Infinity Broadcasting.

April/May 2006, they continue to play tour dates right through 2006 all over North America and a dozen over-seas gigs. The band has mentioned on myspace.com and their website that they will continue touring in support of their "Home" DVD/CD. There is news about a possible new album within the next year and many new plans are in the works, although details haven't yet been made public. Ed Roland indicated that the next record will have more songwriting contributions from other bands members and maybe some guests. Roland composed/produced almost all of the bands previous material.

Current Members

Former Members

Discography

Studio albums

  1. Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid, (1994), > # 15 > Double-platinum
  2. Collective Soul, (1995), > # 23 >Triple-platinum
  3. Disciplined Breakdown, (1997), > # 16 > Platinum
  4. Dosage, (1999), > # 21 > Platinum
  5. Blender, (2000), > #22 > Gold
  6. Youth, (2004), > # 66 > 220,000

Compilations

DVDs and Videos

Singles

- Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart

    • 1994 Shine - # 1 Gold
    • 1994 Breathe - # 12
    • 1994 Wasting Time ---

    • 1995 Gel - # 2
    • 1995 December - # 1
    • 1995 Smashing Young Man - # 8
    • 1995 The World I Know - # 1
    • 1996 Where The River Flows # 1
    • 1996 Reunion ---

    • 1997 Precious Declaration # 1
    • 1997 Listen - # 1
    • 1997 Blame - # 11
    • 1997 Maybe ---

  • 1998 She Said - # 16 (Scream 2)

    • 1999 Heavy - # 1
    • 1999 Run ---
    • 1999 No More No Less - # 10
    • 1999 Needs ---
    • 1999 Tremble For My Beloved - # 35

    • 2000 Why Pt 2 - # 2
    • 2001 Vent - # 34
    • 2001 Perfect Day ---

    • 2001 Next Homecoming - # 39

    • 2004 Counting The Days # 8
    • 2005 Better Now - # 35 (# 9 Adult Top 40)
    • 2005 How Do You Love? --- (# 16 Adult Top 40)

Billboard Hot 100

Shine - # 11, The World I Know - # 19 December - # 20, Precious Declaration - # 65, Listen - # 72, Heavy - # 73, Run - # 76

Music Videos

  • Shine
  • Breathe
  • Gel
  • December
  • Smashing Young Man
  • The World I Know
  • Precious Declaration
  • Listen
  • Blame
  • She Said
  • Run
  • Needs
  • Why Pt.2
  • Perfect Day
  • Better Now
  • How Do You Love?

External Links

Main Sites

Video

Goodies

Profiles and Homepages

Alternative musical groups | American musical groups | American rock music groups | Berklee College of Music alumni | Post-grunge groups | Georgia (U.S. state) musical groups

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Collective Soul".

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