24 Carrots

24 Carrots
Studio album by Al Stewart
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
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

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

1980 Original LP edition

Side One

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

Side Two

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

CD1

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

Bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
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.	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

CD3 (Live at Hammersmith Odeon – London – December 10, 1980 – Previously Unreleased)

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

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic

Chart (1980)	Position
United States (Billboard 200)	37
Australia (Kent Music Report)	51