Barbara Mandrell's Spun Gold contains some bizarre collisions of country music's traditional working-class perspective with disco-era glitz. Take, for example, "In Times Like These," one of the album's two hits. The song, set to a chugging "Proud Mary" guitar riff, addresses themes of hardship such as being forced to wear patched clothes. Meanwhile, Mandrell is decked out on the album cover like a high-fashion model in gold lame'. Dolly Parton has always been able to negotiate these kinds of apparent contradictions, but Mandrell does not have the same gift. "One of a Kind Pair of Fools" offers a less jarring choice of material; its strong hook and pure pop production helped make it Mandrell's final number one hit. Her career was derailed by a car accident a year later, but she remained on the charts in a diminished capacity throughout the '80s. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide
Spun Gold is a studio album by American country music singer, Barbara Mandrell, released in 1983.
Spun Gold spawned two hit singles, "In Times Like These", reaching #4 on the Country charts, and Mandrell's final #1 Country single to date, "One of A Kind Pair of Fools". The popularity of these singles made Mandrell's album a success, peaking at #5 on the Top Country Albums chart, and #140 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Spun Gold consisted of 10 tracks, including a duet with (then) upcoming singer, Steve Wariner, on the track, "Overnight Sensation".
