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Pure and Simple (song)

{{Short description|2001 single by Hear'Say}}

{{Distinguish|Pure (The Lightning Seeds song)}}

{{EngvarB|date=July 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Pure and Simple

| cover = Pure and Simple single cover - 2001.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Hear'Say

| album = Popstars

| B-side = Bridge over Troubled Water

| released = {{start date|2001|3|12|df=y}}

| recorded =

| studio = Mayfair, The Strongroom (London, England)

| genre =

| length = 3:47

| label = Polydor

| writer = {{hlist|Tim Hawes|Pete Kirtley|Alison Clarkson}}

| producer = Jiant

| next_title = The Way to Your Love

| next_year = 2001

}}

"Pure and Simple" is a song by British pop group Hear'Say, the winners of the UK version of Popstars. It was a cover of the original version recorded three years earlier by British-Dutch girl group Girl Thing, who were dropped from BMG before the song was given to Hear'Say. It was written by Pete Kirtley, Tim Hawes, and Betty Boo (under her real name, Alison Clarkson). The song was released on 12 March 2001 as the lead single from Hear'Say's debut studio album, Popstars (2001). The B-side is a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water".

"Pure and Simple" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart after selling 550,000 copies in its first week, which, at the time, made it the fastest-selling debut single of all time in the United Kingdom. It spent a total of three weeks at the top and has sold over 1.08 million copies in the UK. As of 2012, it is the seventh biggest-selling debut single of the 21st century in that country. The song also topped the New Zealand Singles Chart for five weeks and reached number three in Ireland.

Background

{{More citations needed section|date=October 2021}}

The song was co-written by Pete Kirtley, Tim Hawes and Betty Boo (under her real name of Alison Clarkson); however, nearly 14 years after the song was released, Linzi Martin of the girl group Girl Thing made the assertion that she was responsible for the majority of the song's composition, having written the verses after Pete Kirtley (her then boyfriend) had brought the chorus of the track to her as a gift. In the 2014 series of The Big Reunion other members of the band including Michelle Barber recall the band being present and contributing to the song, but none received credit as co-writers. Girl Thing then found out, after the song was written, that their manager Chris Herbert (who also managed Hear'Say) had given the song to the newer band as their debut single, an act that upset Girl Thing.{{cite magazine|title=Chart Commentary: Single Factfile|last=Jones|first=Alan|magazine=Music Week|page=17|date=24 March 2001}} Band member Nikki Stuart described the incident as "digging the knife in."

Critical reception

Many critics noted that the song had a distinct resemblance to Oasis's "All Around the World" and All Saints' "Never Ever".{{cite news|url=https://www.nme.com/news/hearsay/6946|title=SOME MIGHT HEAR'SAY|date=15 March 2001|work=NME|access-date=6 February 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://2000snumberones.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/2001-hearsay-pure-and-simple.html|title=NUMBER ONES OF THE 2000s: 2001 Hear'Say – Pure and Simple|author=Andr3w|date=3 February 2010|publisher=blogspot.com|access-date=6 February 2014}} BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles even recorded a parody version of "Pure and Simple" that included the song lyrics from these two songs.{{cite web|author=Chris Harris |url=http://chrismoyles.net/soundvault/soundvault.php?fileid=969 |title=Chris Moyles |publisher=chrismoyles.net |date=2 September 2004 |access-date=1 April 2014}} Despite this, Noel Gallagher took no legal action due to his own self-confessed borrowings from other artists.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/when-it-comes-to-songwriting-theres-a-fine-line-between-inspiration-and-plagiarism-2021199.html|title=When it comes to songwriting, there's a fine line between inspiration and plagiarism|last=Leigh|first=Spencer|date=8 July 2010|work=The Independent|access-date=6 February 2014}} The song and band were also criticised by several contemporary musical acts at the time, including Stereophonics, David Gray, and Blur.

Commercial reception

"Pure and Simple" was released on 12 March 2001 in the United Kingdom and received a continental European release in April 2001.{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/2001/Music-Week-2001-03-10.pdf|title=New Releases – For Week Starting March 12, 2001: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=27|date=10 March 2001|access-date=10 August 2021}}{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/00s/2001/MM-2001-03-31.pdf|title=Airborne|last=Howorth|first=Adam|magazine=Music & Media|volume=18|issue=14|page=22|date=31 March 2001|access-date=28 September 2020}} On 18 March 2001, "Pure and Simple" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart. It sold 160,000 copies during its first day on sale and 549,823 copies during its first week, becoming the fastest-selling debut single of all time in the UK,{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1228195.stm|title=Hear'Say hit number one|date=18 March 2001|work=BBC News|access-date=23 September 2007}} a record beaten a year later by Will Young, the winner of the first series of Pop Idol, with his debut single "Evergreen" / "Anything Is Possible".{{cite news|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-biggest-selling-debut-singles-of-the-21st-century-revealed-1576/|title=The biggest selling debut singles of the 21st Century revealed!|last=Lane|first=Dan|date=7 September 2012|publisher=Official Charts|access-date=6 February 2014}} It was also the third-fastest-selling single in UK chart history at that point, behind "Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid and "Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John.{{cite web|url=https://chart-watch.uk/archives/2001/week-ending-march-24th-2001|title=Week Ending March 24th 2001|last=Masterton|first=James|author-link=James Masterton|publisher=Chart Watch UK|date=18 March 2001|access-date=3 March 2021}} The song spent a total of three weeks at the top of the UK chart.

"Pure and Simple" sold 1.07 million copies in 2001, making it that year's second best-selling single. It was beaten only by Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me", which sold 80,000 copies more.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1730365.stm|title=Shaggy's single is UK's best-seller|date=27 December 2001|work=BBC News|access-date=6 February 2014}} By the time Hear'Say split up in 2002, the song had been certified double platinum for sales of over 1.2 million copies,{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2289447.stm|title=Hear'Say split up|date=1 October 2002|work=BBC News|access-date=23 September 2007}} making it one of the few singles to achieve that feat during the 2000s. It is also one of only 167 singles ever to sell 1 million copies in the UK, and has sold over 1.09 million as of November 2016. "Pure and Simple" is the seventh biggest-selling debut single of the 21st century in the UK, the second biggest seller by a mixed-gender group and the UK's 96th best-selling song of all time.{{cite news|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/blurred-lines-becomes-uks-latest-million-selling-single-2361/|title=Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines becomes fastest selling single of 2013!|last=Lane|first=Dan|date=17 July 2013|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=28 December 2013}} The song was also a number-one hit in New Zealand, where it topped the RIANZ Singles Chart for five consecutive weeks in July and August 2001, earning a gold certification for selling over 25,000 copies.

Track listings

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

UK CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Pure and Simple|others=Hear'Say|year=2001|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=Polydor Records|id=587 063-2}}

  1. "Pure and Simple"
  2. "Bridge over Troubled Water"

UK cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Pure and Simple|others=Hear'Say|year=2001|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=Polydor Records|id=587 006-4}}

:A. "Pure and Simple"

:B. "Bridge over Troubled Water"

European maxi-CD and Australasian CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Pure and Simple|others=Hear'Say|year=2001|type=Australasian CD single liner notes|publisher=Polydor Records|id=587 006-2}}

  1. "Pure and Simple" – 3:47
  2. "Bridge over Troubled Water" – 4:44
  3. "Can't Stop Thinkin' About It" – 3:23

{{col-2}}

UK DVD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Pure and Simple|others=Hear'Say|year=2001|type=UK DVD single liner notes|publisher=Polydor Records|id=587 006-9}}

  1. "Pure and Simple" (audio only)
  2. "Bridge over Troubled Water" (video)
  3. "Popstars Greatest Hits"

:# Popstars Auditions – The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

:# Darius – Hit Me Baby One More Time

:# The Final Five Hear the Good News

:# The Final Five Move In

{{col-end}}

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the Popstars album booklet.{{cite AV media notes|title=Popstars|title-link=Popstars (Hear'Say album)|others=Hear'Say|year=2001|type=UK CD album booklet|publisher=Polydor Records|id=549 821-2}}

Studios

  • Recorded at Mayfair Studios and The Strongroom (London, England)
  • Mastered at Transfermation (London, England)

Personnel

{{div col}}

  • Jiant – production
  • Tim Hawes – writing, additional programming
  • Pete Kirtley – writing, beats, programming
  • Alison Clarkson – writing
  • Hear'Say – all vocals
  • Milton McDonald – guitar
  • Ian Sedgewick – bass guitar
  • Keith Beauvais – Rhodes, strings
  • Tim "Spag" Speight – mixing, engineering
  • Andy Ward – assistant engineering
  • Ed Chadwick – assistant engineering
  • Richard Dowling – mastering

{{div col end}}

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (2001)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Australiapandora|72|url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20020220130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20020221-0000/www.aria.com.au/issue585.PDF|urltitle=Issue 585|rowheader=true|access-date=28 September 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
{{single chart|Flanders Tip|3|artist=Hear'say|song=Pure and Simple|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/00s/2001/MM-2001-04-14.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=18|issue=16|page=6|date=14 April 2001|access-date=6 March 2020}}

|6

{{single chart|Germany|83|artist=Hear'say|song=Pure and Simple|songid=4716|rowheader=true|access-date=15 December 2018}}
{{single chart|Ireland2|3|artist=Hear'say|song=Pure and Simple|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|1|artist=Hear'say|song=Pure and Simple|rowheader=true|refname="nz"}}
{{single chart|Scotland|1|date=20010324|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|29|artist=Hear'say|song=Pure and Simple|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|UK|1|date=20010324|rowheader=true|refname="UK chart"}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (2001)

!Position

scope="row"|Ireland (IRMA){{cite web|url=http://www.irma.ie/#verticalTab16|title=Best of Singles 2001|publisher=IRMA|access-date=15 December 2018}}

|19

scope="row"|New Zealand (RIANZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/2001-12-31|title=End of Year Charts 2001|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|access-date=27 February 2020}}

|44

scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC)

|2

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Hear'Say|title=Pure and Simple|award=Gold|relyear=2001|certyear=2001|id=2001-07-06|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|refname="nzcert"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Hear'Say|title=Pure and Simple|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2001|certyear=2001|id=5246-1850-1|salesamount=1,090,000|salesref={{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/girlbands-vs-boybands-their-biggest-songs-of-the-century-revealed__16965/|title=Girlbands vs Boybands – their biggest songs of the century revealed|last=Myers|first=Justin|date=5 November 2016|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=6 November 2016}}}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|12 March 2001

|{{hlist|CD|cassette|DVD}}

|rowspan="3"|Polydor

|

scope="row"|Europe

|April 2001

|rowspan="2"|CD

|

scope="row"|Australia

|7 May 2001

|{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/issue584.PDF|title=The ARIA Report: ARIA New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 7th May 2001|publisher=ARIA|page=25|date=7 May 2001|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20020220130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20020221-0000/www.aria.com.au/issue584.PDF|archive-date=20 February 2002|access-date=20 April 2021}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

scope="row"|United States

|5 June 2001

|{{hlist|Contemporary hit|rhythmic contemporary radio}}

|Universal

|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2001/RR-2001-06-01.pdf|title=Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1404|pages=44, 49|date=1 June 2001|access-date=4 June 2021}}

Other versions

"Pure and Simple" was covered by America's Got Talent winner Bianca Ryan for her self-titled debut album in 2006.

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Hear'Say}}

{{Popstars}}

{{Betty Boo}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pure And Simple}}

Category:2000 songs

Category:2001 debut singles

Category:Girl Thing songs

Category:Hear'Say songs

Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand

Category:Number-one singles in Scotland

Category:Polydor Records singles

Category:Songs written by Betty Boo

Category:Songs written by Pete Kirtley

Category:Songs written by Tim Hawes

Category:UK singles chart number-one singles