OLDIES SUNDAY: Bim Lewis & Clover – Sweet Heart (1975)

One thing with Jamaicans, we’ll take anything and turn it into a song. From hard times, to achieving success, to the ups and downs of a relationship, to something that occurred 5 mins ago, and they’ll all be hit singles. For today’s “Oldies Sunday” selection, we share a situation that is somewhat common in many relationships, the other person. We go back in time to check out Ed Lewis a.k.a. “Bim” Lewis and Hyacinth Clover a.k.a. Clover’s “Sweet Heart“.

Produced by Chap Productions and released through the Dawn label and Village Records in 1975, Bim Lewis and Clover play the role of a married couple, and they deal with the possibility of a 3rd partner in, “Sweet Heart”. Bim shares with his Wife that he has a lady on the side, and the Mistress has expressed that she and the Wife should be friends. For Bim, that sounds like a great idea, but for Clover, she’s not putting up with that. She believes her Man is HER Man, and should not be shared with another Woman. Bim on the other hand, believes that he should have the best of both worlds, a Wife who does her duties and plays her role, while the Mistress covers ground when the Wife is unavailable. Bim is warming up to the idea of an Open Marriage, but it quickly goes sour when Clover shares she’d indulge if she has a Man on the side, and he should be friends with her Husband.

“Sweet Heart” quickly became popular in Jamaica, and its theme of infidelity was relatable. The track was featured on the Comedy Play, “Gun Court Affair“. Bim and Clover were a part of the “Bim, Bam and Clover” Comedy/Music troupe with Aston “Bam” Wynter, which started from “Bim & Bam”, the comedic duo who entertained many with their Comedy-Dramas since the 1930s. Unfortunately, the duo started out by adopting the blackface Minstrel style of the era, but over the years would try to phase out of that. Bim and Hyacinth Clover, who was the Sister of the legendary Singer Ken Boothe, were actually married, and their content when it came to relationships quickly resonated with their audience. Bim & Bam also helped in the development of the careers of Ska legend Derrick Morgan, and legendary Saxophonist/Co-Founder of The Skatalites Ronald Alphonso.

Since the release of “Sweet Heart”, Bim Lewis and Clover continued to do more releases under “Bim, Bam and Clover”. Bim would pass away in 1976, and Clover would continue the productions until she passed away in the 2000s. “Sweet Heart” is still played around the world, with many sharing that it was a guilty pleasure in their youth as many were children when it was first released.