Today’s classic funk/disco song of the day is “Strawberry Letter 23” by the Brothers Johnson. This track was released in June of 1977 and peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard’s R&B chart.
“Strawberry Letter 23” was written and first released by R&B singer/guitarist Shuggie Otis, the son of musician Johnny Otis (“Willie and the Hand Jive”). Otis’ version of the song was a track on his 1971 album, Freedom Flight; he didn’t release it as a single.
George Johnson, one of the two Brothers Johnson, heard the song when he was dating Otis’ cousin. George and his brother Louis decided to record it for their 1977 album, Right On Time. Their version was produced by the legendary Quincy Jones; Lee Ritenour played that trippy guitar solo.
“Strawberry Letter 23” isn’t really a high energy dance number like the other disco tunes this week. Instead, it features a smooth funky groove with very psychedelic overtones. I like the sound.
Interestingly, the words “Strawberry Letter 23” do not appear in the song itself. The song references a series of letters in strawberry-colored envelopes, with the most recent received being number 22. Therefore, the lyrics are part of the next letter, number 23, which is referring to number 22. It’s all how you count it.
