Band members:
Hear'Say: vocals

Additional musicians:
P Kirtley: beats & programming (1, 3)
T Hawes: additional programming (1, 3)
Keith Beauvais: strings (1), Rhodes (1), keys (3), guitar (3)
Milton McDonald: guitar (1)
Ian Sedgewick: bass (1)
Simon Chamberlain: piano (2)
Paul Turner: bass (3)
Steve 'Barney' Chase: Pro-Tools (3)
 

Produced by Jiant (Kirtley/Hawes) (1, 3), Trevor Steel & John Holliday (2)
Additional production: Beauvais (3)
Engineered & mixed by Tim 'Spag' Speight (1, 3), Ben Georgiadis (2)
Mix engineer: Niven Garland (2)
Mastered by Richard Dowling
 

Tracks:
1. Pure and Simple [Hawes/Kirtley/A Clarkson]
2. Bridge Over Troubled Water [Paul Simon]
3. Can't Stop Thinkin' About It [Hawes/Kirtley/Beauvais]
 

Notes: McDonald played various sessions for an eponymous album by girl band Girl Thing, including for a track "Pure and Simple", at one point intended as a single for the group. However, Girl Thing sold poorly and the powers that be instead re-used the instrumental backing tracks (including McDonald's guitar) with another band's vocals. This second band was Hear'Say, the product of the UK TV programme Popstars, the reality TV show where viewers could vote out contestants until five lucky winners formed a band. "Pure and Simple" became Hear'Say's debut, going straight in at #1 (18 Mar 2001) on the UK chart with 549,823 sales in the first week, making it the third fastest selling single in the UK ever. The single was huge, but the band imploded after follow-ups failed to sell. Ironically, the band created of the five runners-up, Liberty X, went on to greater longevity.

"Pure and Simple" was included on Hear'Say's debut album Popstars (Polydor), although McDonald is not on any further tracks. That album also entered the UK chart at #1 (1 Apr). "Pure and Simple" is also on the UK compilation Now That's What I Call Music Vol. 48 (EMI, CDNOW48). (HP, 21 Apr 03)