1981 Barbara Mandrell – Live

Barbara Mandrell Live is a live album by the American country music singer Barbara Mandrell, released in August 1981.

This album spawned two hit singles, “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” and “Wish You Were Here”. “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” became Mandrell’s signature song, and a return to her roots, peaking at #1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart in 1981. The song features an uncredited appearance by George Jones. “Wish You Were Here” peaked at #2 on the Billboard country charts, and also appeared on the (Billboard) Adult Contemporary charts, reaching #40. The album includes cover versions of popular songs, including “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and the Hank Williams’ hit “Hey Good Lookin'”, and closes with a full-length vocal version of “Country Girl”, the theme song to Mandrell’s 1980-82 television show, Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters.

This album was one of Mandrell’s biggest-selling albums in the United States, receiving a “Gold” certification by the RIAA, after the album moved 500,000 copies. It is only one of two albums by Mandrell that received a certification by the RIAA in the United States. The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart (her highest peak position on that chart), as well as #86 on the Billboard 200. In Cashbox Magazine, both singles peaked at #1 and the album itself reached the top spot in November of 1981.