It's No Crime

Album: Tender Lover (1989)
Charted: 7
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In his first Hot 100 chart entry as a solo artist, Babyface is guilty of love and that's no crime. He told Billboard how the song came together: "Usually when I start writing something, I hum words that aren't even words - maybe it sounded like 'It's No Crime' at the time. It was really different because it was something for my album and it wasn't something I would normally do."
  • Babyface wrote this with his songwriting and producing partner Antonio "L.A." Reid, along with frequent collaborator Daryl Simmons. Reid recalled: "The thing I remember about 'It's No Crime' was the industrial-sounding beat that we started with. That's how the song was creatively driven. I remember it translating into the video - we started doing the video in an industrial environment. For some reason when I think if 'It's No Crime,' the first thing that comes to mind is industrial noise."
  • Babyface's former Deele bandmate Kevin "Kayo" Roberson played bass guitar and bass synth.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Evolution of "Ophelia"

The Evolution of "Ophelia"Song Writing

How five songs portray Shakespeare's character Ophelia.

Hardy

HardySongwriter Interviews

The country hitmaker talks about his debut album, A Rock, and how a nursery rhyme inspired his hit single "One Beer."

Yacht Rock Quiz

Yacht Rock QuizFact or Fiction

Christopher Cross with Deep Purple? Kenny Loggins in Caddyshack? A Fact or Fiction all about yacht rock and those who made it.

Amy Grant

Amy GrantSongwriter Interviews

The top Contemporary Christian artist of all time on song inspirations and what she learned from Johnny Carson.

Actors With Hit Songs

Actors With Hit SongsMusic Quiz

Many actors have attempted music, but only a few have managed a hit. Do you know which of these thespians charted?

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."