Strawberry Letter 23 - Brothers Johnson

"Strawberry Letter 23" is a song written by Shuggie Otis, and best known by the version recorded by The Brothers Johnson.It is said that Otis wrote the song for a girlfriend who used strawberry-scented paper when she wrote letters to him, but Otis himself says that is not true. He recorded it for his 1971 album Freedom Flight.

George Johnson of the Brothers Johnson was dating one of Otis' cousins when he came across the album Freedom Flight. The group recorded "Strawberry Letter 23" for their 1977 album Right on Time, which was produced by Quincy Jones, and the album went platinum. They recorded the song in a funkier, more dance-oriented vein than the original Otis version. Their rendition hit the Hot 100 and peaked at number five and reached number one on the Soul Singles chart in 1977. Studio guitar player Lee Ritenour recreated Otis' original guitar solo for the Brothers Johnson cover.