#10

Hear'Say – Pure And Simple

Date Charted: 24/03/2001

Weeks at #1: 3

UK Chart Run: {1}-1-1-3-5-12-20-24-26-28-35-38-41-44-48-53-50-52-42-36-36-49-64-66-67->25

Chart Commentary

The first of its kind. A TV Talent show runs several episodes to find the next best pop group, and this is the result of all those weeks of hard work and auditions! Hear'Say are formed as a 5-piece mixed group, and their debut single, 'Pure And Simple' went on to become a three week #1 smash for the start of the year. At the time it was quite a moment, and it was the first time the TV screen had captured the imagination of the viewing audience as they got a glimpse into the lives of these regular and unknown singers, ready to take on the world. It was surely seeing the success of the TV talen show model that inspired a certain Simon Cowell to create several TV franchises in the years to follow to scout for singing talent. As a song, I don't mind 'Pure And Simple' at all and it was one of the better pop songs of the year for me, probably due to the story of how it came to be. Some artists it denied higher chart peaks for at the time included Chocolate Puma, Stereophonics, Craig David, Crazy Town and M&S pts. The Girl Next Door.

Uptown Girl is a Billy Joel clone, so that's a great record and this copies it adequately for Comic Relief, but I'd never choose to play the cover over the original. The S Club track wasn't one i've remembered much, mildly pleasant playing it now. Hear'Say, didnt watch the TV show, not invested in the group, but it was a fairly reasonable pop song that was well over-rated commercially due to the TV show. Betty Boo co-wrote it, so that will have helped income post-hits!

Well that's a surprising one to make the top 10 here. Can't say I've ever been too enthusiastic about it. Much preferred the two follow ups!

The journey is over :(

It's ok, it would be about 22-25 for me, it's one of those moments where literally anything could have been released and it would be No.1 due to the hype. I'm always entertained by the fact that it was originally a song on Girl Thing's panned album the year before that was co-written by Betty Boo. Quite certain she didn't expect those royalty cheques when she wrote it. The sales it managed were insane for quite a plod of a track.

I like the first half of the song up to a point, in its kind of Never Ever aping fashion, but by the time Danny comes in with his overblown vocal in the middle eight my interest has completely gone.

Hat tip to Bardot, the Australian popstars girlband winners who were formed in 2000, who I did really love and who charted with the more cool Poison in early 2001 just outside the top 40.

Remember SM:TV also famously showing Irish Popstars with Nadine Coyle's infamous passport lie 😆

I enjoy it to a degree if I hear it, but it's not something I'd ever willingly listen to.

“Pure And Simple” is like a record designed by a committee. Each member gets a very carefully calculated amount of airtime to sing generic words in a pleasant but uninspiring way. It’s devoid of any artistry for me.

#9

Daniel Bedingfield – Gotta Get Thru This

Date Charted: 08/12/2001

Weeks at #1: 3

UK Chart Run: {1}-1-2-3-2-1-3-6-13-11-13-22-27-39-45-55-54-54->18

Chart Commentary

This was the debut single from Daniel Bedingdield, brother of Natasha who would later come on the scene. Not knowing what type of artist he would go on to become, many expected that he was a garage artist given his unique blend of garage beats on display in 'Gotta Get Thru This' which went on to be #1 for 3 unconsecutive weeks. At the time there was nothing else quite like it in the charts, and so this slotted right in at the top, holding out much promise for this new artist. The song was able to shift more sales than the likes of PPK, Hear'Say, Kate Winslet, Geri Halliwell, Basement Jaxx, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Stereophonics, Steps, Hermes House Band and even The Tweenies! It returned back to #1 in the first week of 2002.

A solid debut single well produced. For ages I didn't even realise it was his voice on it, I thought he was a producer and it was a guest vocal pitched up.

I soon got the answer when I heard his other material.

I do wish Sophie had got at least one week in front of it though.

I really didn't like it at the time, but I kinda dig it these days!

I'm quite bitter it denied Sophie for multiple weeks though (on the same note, F U Noah Kahan)

“Gotta Get Thru This” is brill.

I’ve just checked back to my Top 40 hits of 2001 and in fact only 4 #1s made it. On that basis “Gotta Get Thru This” would be my #3 here. I controversially think it’s the best thing released by either of the Bedingfield siblings. I love the rawness of the bedroom production and it has such an excitable energy.

“Murder On The Dancefloor” was a bit higher in my Top 40 of 2001, but I believe it was a long way behind on sales so was never really challenging.

Pure and Simple is really very similar to Never Ever as GD says, but also Oasis - All Around The World. You can almost sing them together!

Ha about Danny’s overblown vocals, they really are shoehorned in and so over the top.

5 minutes ago, Julian_ said:

“Murder On The Dancefloor” was a bit higher in my Top 40 of 2001, but I believe it was a long way behind on sales so was never really challenging.

Only 4,000 between them when they both went head-to-head in the new year!

(Admittedly when sales were pretty low)

'Pure And Simple' has a lot of talent show dross that followed in the wake of its huge opening sales to answer for, which might be forgivable if the song had been halfway decent itself, but it doesn't hit the mark for me.

'Gotta Get Thru This' came out too late to make an impact on my top 40 of 2001 as posted on page 4, but I do (really) like it - I just prefer his next #1 in 2002. Strange that 'Murder On The Dancefloor' had 4 spells at #2 in 3 different years, but was only held off by 2 different #1s.

I’ve just revisited the scores from my review thread for these so I can post my ranking at the end. I’m surprised to find I gave “Pure And Simplistic” a 5 and said it was a rousing song! I expected to find it was a 2.