July 19th: Sting Goes Solo, Beatles Go Animated
About this episode
This episode discusses Sting's solo career launch and The Beatles' animated film Yellow Submarine.
On July 19, 1985, Sting stepped out on his own, kicking off a new chapter after fronting The Police for years. That summer night the Dream of the Blue Turtles tour was in full swing, showcasing his pivot into jazz inflected pop with a backing band full of serious jazz heavyweights like Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland, Omar Hakim, and Darryl Jones. It was a bold move, trading in the tight, angular rock of The Police for something looser, moodier, and dripping with saxophone and swing. But if we widen the lens a little, July 19th has another wonderfully chaotic claim to fame in music history. Back in 1968, this was around the time The Beatles were deep in the thick of filming and promoting Yellow Submarine, that trippy animated fantasy stuffed with Blue Meanies, Nowhere Men, and psychedelic seas of green. The film premiered in London that July, dazzling audiences with its surreal visuals set to songs like All You Need Is Love and the title track itself. It was less a traditional movie and more a fever dream fan letter to Beatlemania, proving that even without lifting much more than their voices for a few scenes, John, Paul, George, and Ringo could still dominate pop culture…
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