Carnival of Light (album)
1994 studio album by Ride
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Carnival of Light is the third studio album by British rock band Ride, released in June 1994 via Creation Records. The album is named after a lost song by the Beatles. The album showcased the band's shift from shoegazing to a more traditional, folk rock sound.[3] It was well received by some critics, magazine Select calling it "another fantastic British album in the old tradition"[9] and reached the UK Top 5. However, by the end of 1994 even the band members had become disillusioned, referring to it amongst themselves as "Carnival of Shite",[10] although in a 2022 interview Andy Bell stated that he had "made peace with it. It's got a lot of good tracks, like Moonlight Medicine and Birdman".[11]
| Carnival of Light | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 20 June 1994 | |||
| Studios | Sawmills, The Manor, RAK, Abbey Road, Sound City, Ocean Way, Sunset Sound | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 56:33 | |||
| Label | Creation | |||
| Producer | John Leckie | |||
| Ride chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Carnival of Light | ||||
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Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Moonlight Medicine" | Mark Gardener | Gardener | 6:49 |
| 2. | "1000 Miles" | Gardener | Gardener with Andy Bell | 5:00 |
| 3. | "From Time to Time" | Gardener (lyrics & music), Steve Queralt (music) | Gardener and Bell | 5:05 |
| 4. | "Natural Grace" | Loz Colbert | Gardener and Bell | 4:40 |
| 5. | "Only Now" | Gardener (lyrics & music), Jack Rieley (lyrics) | Gardener | 4:25 |
| 6. | "Birdman" | Bell | Bell | 6:39 |
| 7. | "Crown of Creation" | Bell | Bell | 4:41 |
| 8. | "How Does It Feel to Feel?" (The Creation cover) | Eddie Phillips, Bob Garner | Gardener and Bell | 3:40 |
| 9. | "Endless Road" | Bell | Bell | 3:30 |
| 10. | "Magical Spring" | Bell | Bell with Gardener | 4:25 |
| 11. | "Rolling Thunder" | Bell | instrumental | 2:08 |
| 12. | "I Don't Know Where It Comes From" | Bell | Bell | 5:32 |
| Total length: | 56:33 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Don't Let It Die" | Gardener | Gardener | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Let's Get Lost" | Bell | Gardener and Bell | 3:56 |
| 3. | "At the End of the Universe" | Bell, Colbert, Gardener, Queralt | Gardener and Bell | 7:55 |
Personnel
Ride
- Loz Colbert – drums, percussion
- Steve Queralt – bass, Fender Rhodes on "Only Now"
- Mark Gardener – vocals, rhythm guitar, tamboura
- Andy Bell – vocals, lead guitar; piano on "Crown of Creation", "Endless Road", and "Magical Spring"; Hammond organ on "Crown of Creation" and "Endless Road", Fender Rhodes on "From Time to Time"
Additional musicians
- Jon Lord – Hammond organ on "Moonlight Medicine"
- Electra Strings – strings on "Moonlight Medicine", "1000 Miles", "From Time to Time", and "Only Now"
- Kick Horns – horns on "Endless Road" and "Let's Get Lost"
- Simon Whalley & The Christchurch Cathedral School Choir – choir on "I Don't Know Where It Comes From"
Production
- John Leckie – production (all except "How Does It Feel to Feel?"), mixing (all except "How Does It Feel to Feel?" and "Crown of Creation")
- George Drakoulias – production and mixing on "How Does It Feel to Feel?"
- Andy Bell – mixing on "Crown of Creation"
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- John Cornfield – engineering
- Julie Gardener – engineering
- Nigel Godrich – engineering
- Chris Brown – engineering
- Jim Scott – engineering
- Tom Nellen – engineering
Artwork
- Gered Mankowitz – cover photo
- Tom Sheehan – other photos
- Ride – design
- Mark Brown – design
Charts
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[12] | 32 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[13] | 38 |
| Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[14] | 15 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[15] | 24 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts)[16] | 5 |
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[17] | 22 |
| UK Independent Albums (Official Charts)[18] | 8 |