B-side "Foundation" (Live) Recorded 1982 | Format 7"
12" | |
Released 25 August 1983 (U.K.)
1 November 1983 (U.S.) Genre Blue-eyed soul
new wave Length 7:12 (extended version)
4:51 (album version)
3:51 (single version) | ||
"Gold" is a 1982 single by English band Spandau Ballet taken from their third album, True.
Contents
Production history
Gary Kemp, wrote both the music and lyrics, and the song was produced by the partnership of Steve Jolley and Tony Swain.
Initial reception
The song is Spandau Ballet's second best-charting single in both the United Kingdom and the United States, behind their previous release, "True," reaching #2 on the UK Singles Chart (KC and the Sunshine Band's "Give It Up" held it off the top of that chart), and #29 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The music video was directed by Brian Duffy and filmed on location in Carmona, Spain. A 'making of' video featured photographs of the band taken by his son: Chris Duffy.
The video featured Sadie Frost as a gold-painted nymph, in one of her earlier roles.
Legacy
"Gold" was re-recorded in a semi-acoustic, unplugged-like style for Spandau Ballet's 2009 album Once More.
The song has featured in various shows and films. As part of the UK radio station Absolute Radio's celebrations for the 2012 Summer Olympics, Christian O'Connell, the network's breakfast show host, pledged to play the song for every gold medal won by Team GB. Spandau Ballet's lead singer, Tony Hadley, was also invited onto the programme for a live performance of "Gold."
The song has also been turned into a football chant with fans of both West Ham and Celtic replacing 'gold' with 'Carlton Cole', a player who has played for their teams.
Hadley has said of the song:
"'Gold' is the song which even today's kids enjoy singing along to in student bars up and down the country, and is one of main reasons I get so many corporate shows. It's requested all the time at awards shows."
He said this to explain his earnings being higher, since the turn of the Third Millennium, than they had been in the 1980s.
The song was used in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
The song was featured on an episode of MTV Cribs featuring the virtual band Gorillaz showcasing Noodle, their guitarist's attributes.
7" version
- "Gold" – 3:54
- "Gold (Instrumental)" – 2:40
12" version
- "Gold (Extended Version)" – 7:12
- "Foundation (Live)" – 3:54