Atwell Records of Lafayette, Tennessee released a number of interesting rock record in the late 1960s. Lafayette is about 60 miles northeast of Nashville, and a similar distance southeast of Bowling Green, Kentucky. I haven’t heard all of these, but my favorite so far is the Children single: two very well-crafted original songs featuring strong vocals with lead guitar bubbling in the background.
The A-side was “I Long to See Her” (by Mike Gibson), backed with “Lost Soul Seeker in the Rain” (by Mike Gibson and L.S. Goodman). It came out as Atwell 45-109 in the second half of 1968
Loryn Atwell produced the single, with both sides published by Lonesome Ern & Atwell Publishers, BMI. Publishing credits give full names, Michael Freeman Gibson and Louis Samuel Goodman.
One source stated the band was from Georgia, but this is incorrect. One member and a friend of the band commented below, stating the band was from Munfordville, Kentucky and members were Mike Gibson on vocals and guitar, Sam Goodman on lead guitar, Mike Rife on drums and vocals and Clint Nichols on bass. Joe Terry Crenshaw joined a later version of the band before it finally broke up.
Since writing this post, Lee Bryant contacted Hoot Gibson and wrote an expanded article on the group for this site.
Atwell had a couple fine rural country releases by the Pedigo Brothers & the Tennessee Rhythm Boys and some later teen releases:
Atwell 100 – “She’s Gone” (Earl Pedigo, Hillard Cliburn) / “You Never Looked Sweeter”
Atwell 101 – “A Love Affair Gone Wrong” / “It’s Hard To Smile” (with picture sleeve)
Atwell 102 – Randy & The Rockets – “Once Upon A Time” (Randy Dillahey) / “Rattlesnakin’ Daddy” 8/1965 “kids”
Atwell 109 – The Children – “I Long to See Her” / “Lost Soul Seeker in the Rain”
Atwell 111 – New Musical Express – “Child Of The Midnight Sun” (Gary Agers, Tommy Ramsey) / “Wrong Side Of Love” (Jerry Ford) 1969
Atwell 115 – Midnite Strobe – “Beyond Reason” / “The Future”
Atwell 45053 – Sweet Revenge – “Love Machine” / “Sweet Revenge” (released with picture sleeve of the band around one member in a coffin, mid 1970s)
Atwell 45057 – Bad LT – “Rock & Roll”/ “God Taketh”
Atwell also released EPs by the Tennessee Harmoneers, spiritual LPs by the Singing Youth, the Singing Gospeltones, and the Tomes Four (actually a quintet), a bluegrass album by Ron Knuth, among other religious and country 45s and LPs.
Atwell Studios is credited on some releases on the Re-Echo Records label of Livingston, TN, including The Madhatters “Unchain My Heart” / “That Kind Of Girl”, as well as on releases on the Breeze Records label, also from Livingston.
Thanks to Max Waller for a couple additions to the Atwell 45 discography.
There was a band called The Children out of Houston on the late 60s, early 70s, at about the same time as The Moving Sidewalks, Billy Gibbons’ high school band.
They were one of the first Houston acts to use lights and a bit of drama. Great band.
Mr Atwell told me when we spoke about 10 year ago that the Children traveled up from Georgia to record.
It was not all that unusual to travel outside of state lines to make a recording back in those days. it was all about who you knew and word of mouth contacts.
That is incorrect, unless there is another group by this name that he was referring to. All the members of this group are Kentuckians born and raised.
This was their only produced record, which is a shame because they had talent.
THE CHILDREN WAS A BAND FROM MUNFORDVILLE KY. BAND MEMBERS WERE, MIKE GIBSON, VOCALS AND GUITAR, SAM GOODMAN, LEAD GUITAR, MIKE RIFE, DRUMS, CLINT NICHOLS, BASS.
ONE BAND MEMBER PASSED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. MIKE GIBSON AND SAM GOODMAN STILL LIVE IN MUNFORDVILLE AREA.
I’m Louis Samuel Goodman lead guitarists of the children, how in hell did you stumbled onto this? Let know.
This was the original ‘garage band’ Band. They started out playing in Mike Rife’s parent’s garage. These guys are all natives of a little town called Munfordville, in Hart County, Kentucky. By the time i had met Sam ( L.S. ) Goodman and we were dating, the band had begun to break up. The original 4 were Clint Nickols, (bass) Mike Gibson, (rhythm) who I only ever heard referred to as “Hoot”, Mike Rife, (drums) and Louis Samuel Goodman. (lead) Clint was the first to ‘break up the band’ around 1969, when he met a girl from France and got married and moved away. Then “Hoot” got married and became very immersed in his religion and refused to play anymore. (unless it was religious songs). The band then tried to reform with a young man named Joe Terry Crenshaw, who was a very good drummer. They played a few gigs but the lead singer Michael Rife had personal problems and he also had to give it up . So that was the end of the band. Sam and i got married in April, 1975 . We have been together ever since, the happy ‘rock star’ and his ‘groupie’ , and live not far from Munfordville. Tragically Mike Rife lost his life in a house fire, Friday, January 28, 2011. “Hoot” still lives in Munfordville, and Clint lives in Elizabethtown, Ky. (last known addr.) Joe Terry eventually got married and was living in Munfordville, the last i knew of him. Sam could tell you all about the recording of this 45, and a LOT of interesting stories about the band if you want to hear them. ~ Mrs. L.S. Goodman~ (Kat)
I am looking for recordings by the Tomes Four. Are there any available?
Steve Powell
I found a clean copy of The Children’s 45 in Horse Cave KY today. I appreciate the info given on the band, since I wrongly assumed they were Lafayette locals. The record came with a picture sleeve back/white photo of the band.
I came across a record by The Tansi Cherokees in my grandfathers collection. A cover band that recorded under the label I guess. Very well recorded!
I found a record on Atwell by Elder D. C. Barton. One side is Peace and Contentment and the other side is On the Other Side is Jordan. It’s a pretty traditional Southern Gospel.
I found a record album “The Lighthouse” today at my mother’s home in Henderson, KY of a group called “The Happiness Quartet” recorded at Atwell. I was looking for information about it when I located this site. I have found no date references anywhere on the album.