The Outlets
Encyclopedia
The Outlets were a 1980s Boston rock band, consisting of David Alex Barton on vocals, his brother Rick Barton
on lead guitar, Mike White on bass and Walter Gustafson on drums.
. They are best known for the single "Knock Me Down", a regional hit. David Alex Barton reunited The Outlets in the late 1990s. The band reunited again in 2005. Barton's son plays in the bands Call of Decency and Altitude Zero, bands which originated at the Fenn School.
Barton's brother, Rick
went on to be a founding member of Dropkick Murphys
, though he has subsequently left the group. He is currently on tour with his new band Everybody Out. Walter Gustafson's post-Outlets resume includes several tours drumming for Gang Green
as well as stints with The Freeze
, Smegma and The Nuns, DAMM and Nervous Eaters
. Today he plays with Mung
and Con-Sole.
Barton boys' cousin, the Somerville, Massachusetts
guitarist
/songwriter
, Bill Trudell, co-wrote many Outlets songs, and helped define The Outlets' early sound. Trudell released a collection of songs entitled Pleasure Package in June 2008.
Rick Barton
Rick Barton was the original guitarist for Dropkick Murphys. He played on Boys on the Docks EP, Do or Die, The Gang's All Here, and the Mob Mentality split album with The Business. He no longer plays for Dropkick Murphys, working now with the newer band "Everybody Out!"...
on lead guitar, Mike White on bass and Walter Gustafson on drums.
History
An acclaimed live band, The Outlets attained success in the greater Boston music scene but failed to gain national attention when they signed with Restless/Enigma in 1985, despite modest critical acclaim including a recommendation from BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
. They are best known for the single "Knock Me Down", a regional hit. David Alex Barton reunited The Outlets in the late 1990s. The band reunited again in 2005. Barton's son plays in the bands Call of Decency and Altitude Zero, bands which originated at the Fenn School.
Barton's brother, Rick
Rick Barton
Rick Barton was the original guitarist for Dropkick Murphys. He played on Boys on the Docks EP, Do or Die, The Gang's All Here, and the Mob Mentality split album with The Business. He no longer plays for Dropkick Murphys, working now with the newer band "Everybody Out!"...
went on to be a founding member of Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
, though he has subsequently left the group. He is currently on tour with his new band Everybody Out. Walter Gustafson's post-Outlets resume includes several tours drumming for Gang Green
Gang Green
Gang Green is a band originally from Braintree, Massachusetts. Chris Doherty , Bill Manley and Mike Dean started the band in 1980 and broke up in 1984...
as well as stints with The Freeze
The Freeze
The Freeze are a hardcore punk rock band from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Freeze formed in late 1978. At the time all members were in high school. The Freeze are generally considered to be a Boston hardcore band, but they never truly fit into the typical Boston mold. Like most hardcore groups, the...
, Smegma and The Nuns, DAMM and Nervous Eaters
Nervous Eaters
The Nervous Eaters, one of Boston's first punk/New Wave bands, debuted in early 1977 with Steve Cataldo on vocals and guitar, Robb Skeen on bass, and Jeff Wilkinson on drums. They had used the name some years earlier, but had not performed live under it. As the Rhythm Assholes, they had backed...
. Today he plays with Mung
Mung
Mung is computer jargon for "to make repeated changes which individually may be reversible, yet which ultimately result in an unintentional, irreversible destruction of large portions of the original item." It was coined in 1958 in the Tech Model Railroad Club at the Massachusetts Institute of...
and Con-Sole.
Barton boys' cousin, the Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
/songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, Bill Trudell, co-wrote many Outlets songs, and helped define The Outlets' early sound. Trudell released a collection of songs entitled Pleasure Package in June 2008.
Albums
- Whole New World Restless/Enigma (1985)
- I Remember (compilation) (1999)
- The Outlets (2000) (new and re-recorded songs)
- The Outlets Rock 1980 (2007) (new recordings of their 1980 setlist plus original 7" recordings: Best Friends, Bright Lights, Knock Me Down)
Singles
- Boy's Life vs. The Outlets (1980)
- Split with Boys Life, features "Knock Me Down" and "You Told Me"
- "Best Friends b/w Bright Lights" 7" (1981)
- "Sheila" b/w "Valentine's Song" 7" (1985)
- "If I Were the One" b/w "Can't Cheat the Reaper" 7" (1985)
Compilation appearances
- "3rd Floor" (from We Had a Wicked Good Time compilation) (1981)
- "Not Too Late" (from Let's Breed! compilation) (1984)
- "Tilted Track" (from Restless VariationsRestless VariationsRestless Variations is a compilation album of newer artists that were on Restless Records issued as a single LP in a gatefold sleeve...
compilation) (1986) - "Eddie" (from A Fistful of Hits compilation) (1987)
- "Eddie" (live) & "Wait" (live) (from Ive Got My Friends compilation) (1996)