Sealed with a Kiss

"Sealed with a Kiss" is a song written and composed by Peter Udell and Gary Geld. It first became a hit in 1962 for Brian Hyland. The original recording of "Sealed with a Kiss" was by the Four Voices which was released as a single in May 1960 without becoming a hit.[4] Jason Donovan later had an international number one hit with the song.

For other uses, see Sealed with a kiss (disambiguation).
"Sealed with a Kiss"
Single by the Four Voices
B-side"You're All There Is"
ReleasedMay 30, 1960
GenrePop
Length2:03
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Peter Udell, Gary Geld
The Four Voices singles chronology
"Tell Me You Love Me, Tell Me You're Mine"
(1958)		 "Sealed with a Kiss"
(1960)
"Sealed with a Kiss"
Single by Brian Hyland
from the album Sealed with a Kiss
B-side
  • "Summer Job"
  • "Ginny Come Lately"
ReleasedMay 1962[1]
GenrePop
Length2:38
LabelABC Records - Paramount
Songwriter(s)Peter Udell, Gary Geld
Brian Hyland singles chronology
"Ginny Come Lately"
(1962)		 "Sealed with a Kiss"
(1962)		 "Warmed Over Kisses (Left Over Love)"
(1962)
"Sealed with a Kiss"
Single by Gary Lewis and the Playboys
from the album Gary Lewis Now!
B-side"Sara Jane"
ReleasedMay 1968[2]
GenrePop
Length2:22
LabelLiberty
Songwriter(s)Peter Udell, Gary Geld
Producer(s)Snuff Garrett
Gary Lewis and the Playboys singles chronology
"Has She Got the Nicest Eyes"
(1967)		 "Sealed with a Kiss"
(1968)		 "Main Street"
(1968)
"Sealed with a Kiss"
German 7" vinyl single
Single by Bobby Vinton
from the album Sealed with a Kiss
B-side"All My Life"
ReleasedMay 10, 1972[3]
GenrePop
Length2:48
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Peter Udell, Gary Geld
Producer(s)Bobby Vinton
Bobby Vinton singles chronology
"Ev'ry Day of My Life"
(1972)		 "Sealed with a Kiss"
(1972)		 "But I Do"
(1972)

The lyrics are from the point of view of one of two lovers who have had to part ways over the summer. The narrator promises the lover who has had to leave that he will send his love and dreams in daily letters "sealed with a kiss". The two also bind each other to a pledge, under seal of a kiss, that they will reunite in September.

Brian Hyland version

In 1962, Brian Hyland, who often performed Udell's and Geld's material, covered the song. Hyland recalls Geld saying the song was "based on, but not totally based on, a Bach finger exercise." (See Five-finger exercise.)[5] Hyland's single began its run on June 9, 1962, and became a top 3 hit, reaching No. 3 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.[6] The personnel on the original Brian Hyland recording included Mundell Lowe, Al Caiola on guitar, Gary Geld on piano, George Duvivier on bass, Blackie Shackner on harmonica, Gary Chester on drums, and Sticks Evans and Al Rogers on percussion.

When re-released in 1975, Hyland's recording charted in the UK at No. 7. Hyland also recorded a version in German.

Chart performance
Chart (1962) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[7] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 3
Chart (1974) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 3
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 13

Gary Lewis and the Playboys version

Gary Lewis & the Playboys covered the song in 1967 on the album Gary Lewis Now!. Their cover version of the single was a Billboard Hot 100 No. 19 hit.[11]

Chart performance
Chart (1968) Peak
position
Australia
74
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] 7
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 19

Bobby Vinton version

A third top 40 Hot 100 version came in 1972, when Bobby Vinton released his interpretation as a single. It reached No. 19 on the Billboard singles chart.[14] This version also placed high on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart (No. 2).[15] Vinton arranged the song himself, with a modern sound including a unique bongo opening that made the song stand out from the other recordings. The success of the single led to Vinton releasing an album, also titled Sealed with a Kiss, that charted as a best seller. This single, which was a follow up to "Every Day of My Life", marked a Vinton comeback in 1971, with the artist appearing on American Bandstand and other television shows on the strength of the single. Billboard ranked it as the No. 87 song for 1971.

Vinton's recording was used in both the trailer and the end credits of the 2007 horror film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane.

Chart performance
Chart (1972) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[16] 9
US Billboard Hot 100[17] 19

Jason Donovan version
"Sealed with a Kiss"
Single by Jason Donovan
from the album Ten Good Reasons
B-side"Just Call Me Up"
Released29 May 1989
Recorded1989
GenrePop
Length2:28
LabelPWL
Songwriter(s)Peter Udell, Gary Geld
Producer(s)Stock Aitken Waterman
Jason Donovan singles chronology
"Too Many Broken Hearts"
(1989)		 "Sealed with a Kiss"
(1989)		 "Every Day (I Love You More)"
(1989)
Music video
"Sealed with a Kiss" on YouTube

In 1989, Jason Donovan released a cover version on 29 May 1989 as the fourth single from his debut album, Ten Good Reasons.[18] His version went straight into the UK Singles Chart at No. 1 and stayed there for two weeks, also reaching the top in Finland and Ireland.

Critical reception

Bill Coleman from Billboard wrote, "Dreamy rendition of the Bobby Vinton oldie has the potential to provide Aussie-bred, U.K.-based pop star with a long-awaited stateside hit."[19]

Weekly charts
Chart (1989–1990) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[20] 8
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[21] 5
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[22] 2
Denmark (IFPI)[23] 11
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[24] 1
France (SNEP)[25] 12
Ireland (IRMA)[26] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[27] 11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[28] 13
Poland (LP3)[29] 3
Portugal (AFP)[30] 3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[31] 8
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[32] 7
UK Singles (OCC)[33] 1
West Germany (Official German Charts)[34] 4

Year-end charts
Chart (1989) Position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[35] 30

Notable cover versions
  • Swedish rock band Hounds covered the song in 1967, in a version which reached number 4 on Kvällstoppen and 2 on Tio i Topp.[36][37]
  • American R&B all-girl trio the Toys covered it in 1968, on the Musicor label, where it reached No. 43 on the U.S. R&B charts.[38]

References
  1. "Sealed with a Kiss / Summer Job - Brian Hyland". 45cat. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  2. "Sealed with a Kiss / Sara Jane - Gary Lewis". 45cat. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  3. "Sealed with a Kiss / All My Life - Bobby Vinton". 45cat. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  4. James Christopher Monger (1996-03-01). "Teen Dreams - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  5. Moser, John J. "INTERVIEW: 'Sealed with a Kiss' singer Brian Hyland, coming to Easton's State Theatre, says 'American Bandstand' lineup's hits are all 'masterpieces'". Mccall.com. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  6. Jason Ankeny (1943-11-12). "Brian Hyland | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  8. "Brian Hyland Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  9. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  10. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Sealed with a Kiss". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  11. "Gary Lewis & the Playboys | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5856." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  13. "Gary Lewis and the Playboys Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  14. "Bobby Vinton | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  15. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 248.
  16. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 330. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  17. "Bobby Vinton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  18. "Ten Good Reasons - Jason Donovan | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  19. Coleman, Bill (1990-04-14). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 77. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  20. "Australian-charts.com – Jason Donovan – Sealed with a Kiss". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  21. "Austriancharts.at – Jason Donovan – Sealed with a Kiss" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  22. "Ultratop.be – Jason Donovan – Sealed with a Kiss" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  23. Danish Singles Chart 21 July 1989
  24. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  25. "Lescharts.com – Jason Donovan – Sealed with a Kiss" (in French). Les classement single.
  26. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Sealed with a Kiss". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  27. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Jason Donovan" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  28. "Charts.nz – Jason Donovan – Sealed with a Kiss". Top 40 Singles.
  29. "Notowanie nr 399" (in Polish). 14 October 1989. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  30. "Top 3 Singles in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. 1989-10-21. p. 17. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  31. "Swedishcharts.com – Jason Donovan – Sealed with a Kiss". Singles Top 100.
  32. "Swisscharts.com – Jason Donovan – Sealed with a Kiss". Swiss Singles Chart.
  33. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  34. "Offiziellecharts.de – Jason Donovan – Sealed with a Kiss". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  35. "Eurochart Hot 100 of 1989" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. 6. Retrieved 17 January 2020 – via American Radio History.
  36. Hallberg, Eric (193). Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 - 19. 8. 1975. Drift Musik. ISBN 9163021404.
  37. Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (1998). Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök: 1961 - 74. Premium Publishing. ISBN 919727125X.
  38. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 587.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.