24 Carrots

24 Carrots
Studio album by
Released20 August 1980
RecordedMay 1980
StudioDavlen Studios, Los Angeles
GenreRock
Length41:14
LabelEurope: RCA
US: Arista (original release)
Razor & Tie (1994 reissue)
Collectors' Choice Music (2007 reissue)
ProducerChris Desmond, Al Stewart
Al Stewart chronology
Time Passages
(1978)
24 Carrots
(1980)
Live/Indian Summer
(1981)

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.

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

[edit]

All tracks composed by Al Stewart except A 1–4 by Al Stewart and Peter White.

1980 Original LP edition

[edit]
Side One
No.TitleLength
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
Side Two
No.TitleLength
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

[edit]
No.TitleLength
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

[edit]
No.TitleLength
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

[edit]
CD1
No.TitleLength
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
Bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
10."Running Man" (Single Version)3:45
11."Paint By Numbers" (Single Version)4:16
Total length:51:59
CD2 (Demo Sessions for 24 Carrots – Davlen Studios LA – August 1979 – Previously Unreleased)
No.TitleLength
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
CD3 (Live at Hammersmith Odeon – London – December 10, 1980 – Previously Unreleased)
No.TitleLength
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

[edit]
  • 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

Charts

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Chart (1980) Position
United States (Billboard 200) 37
Australia (Kent Music Report)[2] 51

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. 24 Carrots reviewallmusic.com. Retrieved on 2011-06-17.
  2. ^ 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.