We Work The Black Seam – Sting
We Work the Black Seam was the sixth single from Sting's debut solo album, Dream of the Blue Turtles (1985). The two measure pattern is heard throughout the song with only minor variations. The unconventional bass/bass drum rhythm (3 consecutive eighth notes beginning on the 'and of 1') teamed with the off-beat ride is typical of Sting's writing style from that time.
There is also a video clip showing the evolution of the song: composing all the parts using vintage synths, sequencing and scoring with the Fairlight CMI, rehearsing the band, then finally playing the song in concert. Watch it here.
Author
Steve Ley is a professional drummer, teacher, writer and Sheet Music Team Director for Online Drummer. He studied at the Australian National University, graduating with a Diploma of Music specializing in jazz performance.
