Sealed with a Kiss



"Sealed with a Kiss" is a song written and composed by Peter Udell and Gary Geld. It was most successful as a 1962 hit single for Brian Hyland, who recalls Geld saying the song was "based on, but not totally based on, a Bach finger exercise." (See Five-finger exercise.) The original recording of "Sealed With a Kiss" was that by the Four Voices which was released as a single in May of 1960 without becoming a hit.

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'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. 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.

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.

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. This version also placed high on Billboard's adult contemporary chart (No. 2). Vinton arranged the song himself, with a modern sound including a unique bongo opening that made the song stand out from the pack. 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.

Jason Donovan version
In 1989, Jason Donovan released a cover version as the third single from his debut album, Ten Good Reasons. 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.

Notable cover versions
The American R&B all-girl trio the Toys covered it in 1968 reaching No. 43 on the U.S. R&B charts.