Bad Boys Blue – Love Is No Crime (1987) – FLAC New Rip

Format: FLAC (Lossless) | Year: 1987 | Country: Germany | Genre: Euro-Disco, Synth-Pop

The Track: A Softer Side of the Bad Boys

Released originally on their 1986 sophomore album Heart Beat, “Love Is No Crime” was re-promoted and re-issued in various formats throughout 1987. Unlike the aggressive, club-thumping energy of “L.O.V.E. in My Car,” this track showcases the band’s softer, more melancholic underbelly.

Driven by a slow, pulsating Roland bassline and Trevor Taylor’s surprisingly tender vocal delivery, the song asks a simple yet profound question: Why should affection be punished? The production—courtesy of Tony Hendrik and Karin van Haaren—is a masterclass in 80s layering. The gated reverb on the snare, the breathy backing vocals, and that signature minor-key synth pad create an atmosphere of bittersweet night driving.

Why This 1987 FLAC Rip?

Most digital copies of 80s Euro-disco are plagued by brick-walled YouTube transcodes or over-compressed CD reissues from the 1990s. This rip is different:

  • Source: Original 1987 German vinyl or first-pressing CD (lossless verified)
  • Dynamic Range: Preserves the punchy low-end of the Roland TR-909 and the airy top-end of the DX7 pads.
  • No Clicks/Pops: Clean, sector-aligned FLAC with embedded cue sheet and full 300dpi scans (cover + labels).

"Love Is No Crime" – The Song’s Forgotten Edge

Lyrically, Love Is No Crime is vintage Bad Boys Blue. Lead vocalist Trevor Taylor (often confused with original frontman John McInerney) delivers a desperate, romantic plea. Unlike the aggressive beats of "Hungry for Love," this track slows the BPM slightly, leaning into a melancholic minor key.

The song's narrative—loving someone society or circumstance forbids—was simple, but the production was revolutionary. The use of a DX7 electric piano layered over a Roland Juno-106 pad creates a "tears-on-the-dancefloor" aesthetic. In standard compressed audio, these layers muddy together. In FLAC, they remain discrete, distinct, and devastating.

Where to Listen (And What to Look For)

If you are navigating the digital shelves of sites like Soulseek, Redacted, or private trackers, here is the specific metadata to look for:

  • Album: Heart Beat (1987 CD Re-issue) or the Maxi-Single for "Love Is No Crime" (Cat. # 609 201).
  • Bit Depth: 16-bit / 44.1 kHz (Standard CD Quality) or 24-bit/96kHz (Vinyl Rip).
  • The B-Side: The best FLAC rips include the extended "Crime Mix" (6:45), which features a synth solo that was cut from the radio edit.

Why the 1987 Version Matters (The "FLAC New" Factor)

For the average listener, a 128kbps MP3 from a 90s compilation might suffice. But for the audiophile and the nostalgic purist, the 1987 FLAC rip is the holy grail. Here is why:

  1. The Dynamic Range War: The 1986 original album mix was warm but slightly compressed for vinyl. The 1987 re-issue (often found on the German label Hansa or the Dutch Carrere) featured a remaster for CD release. In FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec), the high-end frequencies of the DX7 electric piano and the low-end thump of the LinnDrum are preserved without the "swishy" artifacts of lossy compression.

  2. The "New" Rarity: When collectors list “Bad Boys Blue – Love Is No Crime (1987 FLAC New),” the “New” usually refers to a recent, high-quality vinyl or original CD rip. Unlike the over-processed 2000s digital remasters (which often brick-wall the audio), these 1987-source FLACs retain the original 44.1 kHz/16-bit integrity. You can hear the analog tape hiss—and for enthusiasts, that is beauty.

The FLAC Renaissance: Why "New" Rips Are Surging

You might see the term "Bad Boys Blue Love Is No Crime 1987 FLAC New" circulating on private music trackers, Soulseek, and audiophile forums like Hydrogenaud.io or Reddit’s r/musichoarder. Why "new"?

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, the only available FLACs were sourced from CD compilations that used noise reduction, killing the high-end sibilance of Trevor Taylor's "S" sounds. However, between 2022 and 2024, a wave of "needledrops" (high-resolution vinyl rips) emerged from collectors who found mint copies of the original 1987 German 12" single (Coconut 609 251).

These "new" FLAC files are characterized by:

  1. 24-bit/96kHz resolution (not just standard CD 16-bit/44.1kHz).
  2. Uncompressed dynamic range (DR scores of 12+ versus the DR6 of streaming versions).
  3. Proper phasing – correcting a longstanding polarity error found in the 1990s CD reissues.

The Audiophile’s Deep Dive: Rediscovering Bad Boys Blue’s "Love Is No Crime" (1987) in FLAC

In the vast ocean of 1980s synth-pop and Euro Disco, few acts captured the bittersweet tension of a dancefloor heartbreak quite like Bad Boys Blue. While the German-based group produced a string of international hits (You’re a Woman, I Wanna Hear Your Heartbeat), there is a specific, shimmering gem that continues to drive collectors and audiophiles into a frenzy: "Love Is No Crime," released in 1987.

But for the discerning listener, the MP3 is an enemy. The true experience lies in the FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) format. This article explores why the 1987 version of Love Is No Crime demands a lossless revival, where the "new" FLAC rips are surfacing, and how this track became a hallmark of high-fidelity Euro-disco.