Carved in Sand

{{Short description|1990 studio album by The Mission}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Carved in Sand

| type = Album

| artist = The Mission

| cover = Mission_carvedinsand.jpg

| alt =

| released = 5 February 1990{{cite magazine|date=3 February 1990|title=Releases|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/51536166258/in/album-72157719932413668/|magazine=Record Mirror|page=28|access-date=28 June 2022|via=Flickr}}

| recorded = May–August 1989

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Gothic rock

| length = 46:57

| label = Phonogram/Mercury

| producer = Tim Palmer

| prev_title = Children

| prev_year = 1988

| next_title = Grains of Sand

| next_year = 1990

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Carved in Sand

| type = studio

| single1 = Butterfly on a Wheel

| single1date = 1990

| single2 = Deliverance

| single2date = 1990

| single3 = Into the Blue

| single3date = 1990

}}

}}

{{Music ratings

|rev1 = Allmusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r13201|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]

|rev2 = Q

|rev2score = {{rating|3|5}}Sandall, Robert. "Pedestrian" [Carved in Sand review]. Q. March 1990.

}}Carved in Sand is the third regular studio album by The Mission, released in 1990. It reached #7 in the UK Albums Chart, making it the second of two top ten albums and overall best-selling album in the band's career.[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r13201|pure_url=yes}} all music] review of Carved in Sand Four singles were released from the album: "Butterfly on a Wheel" (#12, January 1990), "Deliverance", "Into the Blue" (#32, June 1990), "Hands Across the Ocean" / "Amelia" (#28, November 1990).{{cite web|url=http://www.everyhit.com/ |title=UK Top 40 Chart Archive, British Singles & Album Charts |publisher=everyHit.com |date=2000-03-16 |access-date=2012-02-09}} The band had invited members of its fan club to help select the tracks for the album.

A "companion" album with outtakes that were not included on Carved in Sand - entitled Grains of Sand - was released in November the same year.

A deluxe two-disc edition of the album was released in February 2008. It included outtakes, the album Grains of Sand and some live cover songs from the 1970s, performed under the name The Metal Gurus (a reference to the song "Metal Guru" by T. Rex, which was one of the tracks covered).

Carved in Sand marked the return of Tim Palmer as producer. The album was recorded at Jacobs Studios and mixed at Swanyard Studios.