"Pure and Simple" | ||||
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Single by Hear'Say | ||||
from the album Popstars | ||||
Released | 12 March 2001 | |||
Format | CD single | |||
Recorded | 2001 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:47 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Writer(s) | Tim Hawes, Pete Kirtley, Alison Clarkson | |||
Producer(s) | Tim Hawes, Pete Kirtley | |||
Hear'Say singles chronology | ||||
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"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 English-Dutch girl group Girl Thing, who were dropped from Polydor Records before the song was given to Hear'Say. 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". The song was co-written by Pete Kirtley, Tim Hawes and Betty Boo (under her real name of Alison Clarkson).
"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 UK. 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 2006, "Pure and Simple" was covered by America's Got Talent winner Bianca Ryan on her self-titled album.
Many critics noted that the song had an uncanny resemblance to Oasis's "All Around the World" and All Saints' "Never Ever".BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles even recorded a parody version of "Pure and Simple" that included the song lyrics from these two songs. Despite this, when it was suggested that Oasis take legal action, Noel Gallagher simply laughed at the hypocrisy of such an act from a man who was famous for "borrowing" from other artists.