Ian Sweetness Covers Beres Hammond's 'I'm In Love With You'

Before he ruled the charts with dancehall rockers like Step Aside and Can You Play Some More, Beres Hammond was known for easy-listening tunes such as I'm in Love With You, which was a big hit in 1979.

Recently, singers Ian Sweetness and Ti'a Smith covered that song for producer Earl Messam's Wildfire Records, which is based in Philadelphia.

According to Ian Sweetness, it was his idea to put a fresh spin on I'm in Love With You, "Because its a song that I love before I even knew Beres."

His and Smith's version can be found on Champions In Action, a compilation album released by Wildfire Records.

Being a longtime admirer of Beres Hammond, Ian Sweetness stressed the importance of doing the original song justice. Their cut had to have a key Beres ingredient. 

"Beres sings with soul, so anything or anyone with soul and energy I am attracted to it," he said.

The original I'm in Love With You was produced by Joe Gibbs, who was arguably the hottest producer in Jamaica during the late 1970s. It was released one year after Hammond recorded the well-received Soul Reggae album with producer Willie Lindo.

From East Kingston in Jamaica, Ian Sweetness was raised on the sounds of Hammond and other legends like Dennis Brown. One of his other recent songs, Ain't That Loving You, was done by The Crown Prince of Reggae for Gibbs in the late 1970s.

The Ian Sweetness version of Ain't That Loving You is also produced by Earl Messam.