24 Carrots
24 Carrots is the ninth studio album by Al Stewart, released in 1980. It was Stewart's first album with his new band Shot in the Dark. Tracks 1-4 are co-written with Peter White. The single "Midnight Rocks" reached #24 on the Billboard chart in 1980. Two other singles were released from the album: "Mondo Sinistro" and "Paint By Numbers". The album has been re-released in 2007 with bonus tracks and in 2020 for its 40th Anniversary.
| 24 Carrots | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 20 August 1980 | |||
| Recorded | May 1980 | |||
| Studio | Davlen Studios, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 41:14 | |||
| Label | Europe: RCA US: Arista (original release) Razor & Tie (1994 reissue) Collectors' Choice Music (2007 reissue) | |||
| Producer | Chris Desmond, Al Stewart | |||
| Al Stewart chronology | ||||
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Three music videos were created for the singles, with them featuring Stewart and backing band Shot in the Dark playing in a typical band set-up, although the "Mondo Sinistro" video also featured Stewart in some quirky restaurant scenes hitting on a young waitress (played by Cassandra Peterson, prior to her fame as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark).
Track listing
All tracks composed by Al Stewart except A 1-4 by Al Stewart and Peter White.
1980 Original LP edition
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Running Man" | 5:12 |
| 2. | "Midnight Rocks" | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Constantinople" | 4:44 |
| 4. | "Merlin's Time" | 2:43 |
| 5. | "Mondo Sinistro" | 3:07 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Murmansk Run / Ellis Island" | 7:18 |
| 2. | "Rocks in the Ocean" | 5:15 |
| 3. | "Paint by Numbers" | 5:29 |
| 4. | "Optical Illusion" | 3:24 |
| Total length: | 41:09 | |
1994 Razor & Tie edition bonus tracks
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Here in Angola" | 4:39 |
| 2. | "Pandora" | 4:37 |
| 3. | "Indian Summer" | 3:33 |
| Total length: | 53:58 | |
2007 Collector's Choice Music edition bonus tracks
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Candy Came Back" | 3:44 |
| 2. | "The Ringing of Bells" | 4:15 |
| 3. | "Tonton Macoute" | 4:11 |
| Total length: | 53:19 | |
2020 Esoteric Recordings (Cherry Red UK) 40th Anniversary 3CD set
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Running Man" | 5:11 |
| 2. | "Midnight Rocks" | 3:54 |
| 3. | "Constantinople" | 4:40 |
| 4. | "Merlin's Time" | 2:44 |
| 5. | "Mondo Sinistro" | 6:05 |
| 6. | "Murmansk Run / Ellis Island" | 7:13 |
| 7. | "Rocks in the Ocean" | 5:12 |
| 8. | "Paint by Numbers" | 5:29 |
| 9. | "Optical Illusion" | 3:30 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Running Man" (Single Version) | 3:45 |
| 11. | "Paint By Numbers" (Single Version) | 4:16 |
| Total length: | 51:59 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Midnight Rocks" | 3:31 |
| 2. | "Murmansk Run / Ellis Island" | 7:04 |
| 3. | "Running Man" (Instrumental Demo) | 6:14 |
| 4. | "Paint By Numbers" | 5:12 |
| 5. | "Jackdaw" | 3:19 |
| 6. | "The World Goes to Riyadh" | 3:10 |
| 7. | "Merlin’s Time" (Instrumental Demo) | 1:10 |
| 8. | "Ringing of Bells" | 4:15 |
| Total length: | 33:55 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Running Man" | 6:07 |
| 2. | "Time Passages" | 6:23 |
| 3. | "Broadway Hotel" | 3:41 |
| 4. | "Mondo Sinistro" | 3:18 |
| 5. | "Roads To Moscow" | 7:53 |
| 6. | "On The Border" | 4:27 |
| 7. | "Year Of The Cat" | 10:21 |
| 8. | "If It Doesn’t Come Naturally, Leave It" | 4:26 |
| Total length: | 46:36 | |
Personnel
- Al Stewart - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synthesizer
- Shot in the Dark
- Peter White - keyboards, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synthesizer
- Adam Yurman - electric guitar, backing vocals
- Robin Lamble - bass guitar, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion
- Krysia Kristianne - backing vocals
- Bryan Savage - alto saxophone, flute
- Additional musicians
- Harry Stinson - backing vocals
- Ken Nicol - backing vocals
- Bob Marlette - keyboards, synthesizer
- Russ Kunkel - drums
- Mark Sanders - drums
- Jeff Porcaro - drums
- Steve Chapman - drums
- Beau Segal - drums
- Lenny Castro - congas
- Robin Williamson - mandocello
- Sylvia Woods - Celtic harp
- Jerry McMillan - violin
Charts
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
| Chart (1980) | Position |
|---|---|
| United States (Billboard 200) | 37 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[2] | 51 |
References
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. 24 Carrots reviewallmusic.com. Retrieved on 2011-06-17.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 294. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
