Collective Soul's career almost ended before it began. The band was

founded in the mid-'80s in Stockbridge, Ga., by guitarist and

singer/songwriter Ed Roland, a dropout of Boston's Berklee School of

Music. Collective Soul got their name from Ayn Rand's classic novel The

Fountainhead, in which the author describes mankind as a "collective

soul."

When the band was unable to sell itself to record labels, Roland packed

it in. But in 1992, a demo he made that included "Shine" attracted

Atlantic Records, which signed Collective Soul.

Released as a single, "Shine" went on to become a smash hit and

Collective Soul's career was established. Tomorrow (Feb. 9), the band

will release its fourth LP, Dosage, one day after bassist Will Turpin turns

28.

Turpin knew drummer Shane Evans and lead guitarist Ross Childress from

their school years together. Turpin met Roland, the son of a Baptist

preacher, in a church choir. The four eventually began playing music

together and added Roland's brother, Dean, on guitar to complete the

Collective Soul lineup heard on its Atlantic debut.

"Shine" was included on that debut album, the platinum-selling Hints,

Allegations and Things Left Unsaid, and became an album-oriented

radio hit and MTV favorite. The band then appeared at Woodstock '94.

Collective Soul's self-titled, multi-platinum 1995 follow-up yielded the

radio hits "Gel," "The World I Know," "Smashing Young Man" and

"December." The group also opened for Van Halen on a major tour.

Then things came to a sudden halt. In 1996, the group fought an ugly,

protracted battle with a former manager that left the band legally

unable to capitalize on the success set in motion by "Shine."

"It was a one-and-a-half year process of hiring new managers, hiring

lawyers, interviewing witnesses and the slow grind of the [U.S.] justice

system," Turpin said about Collective Soul's forced hiatus.

"Basically, our career was shut down through 1996."

Following the paralyzing year-plus of legal entanglements, Collective

Soul rebounded with 1997's Disciplined Breakdown, including the

single "Precious Declaration." The LP also included such songs as

"Listen," "Maybe" and "Blame."

The Ed Roland-produced Dosage will feature the single

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music/Collective_Soul/Run.ram">"Run" (RealAudio excerpt), which

also is on the soundtrack to the new hit film, "Varsity Blues."

Dosage shares "She Said" with yet another soundtrack album,

("Scream 2") and also includes the songs "Tremble for My Beloved,"

"Heavy" and "No More, No Less." Turpin also guests on How Do You

Live (Pissy Missy Records), the new album by roots rocker Michelle

Penn.

Collective Soul plan to be on the road for a good part of this year.

Other birthdays: Tom Rush, 58; Adolpho "Fito" de la Parra (Canned Heat),

53; Paul Barker (Revolting Cocks), 49; Sam Llanas (BoDeans), 38; and Vince

Neil (ex-Mötley Crüe), 38.