Strawberry Letter 23 Explained

Strawberry Letter 23
Type:	song
Artist:	Shuggie Otis
Album:	Freedom Flight
Released:	1971
Genre:	Psychedelic soul^[1] psychedelic rock^[2]
Label:	Epic
Producer:	Johnny Otis

Strawberry Letter 23
Cover:	Strawberry_Letter_23_-_Brothers_Johnson.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	the Brothers Johnson
Album:	Right on Time
B-Side:	Dancin' and Prancin'
Released:	June 1977^[3]
Recorded:	1977
Genre:	Disco funk
Length:	3:39 (single edit) 4:59 (album version) 5:04 (12" single version)
Label:	A&M
Producer:	Quincy Jones
Prev Title:	Runnin' for Your Lovin'
Prev Year:	1977
Next Title:	Ain't We Funkin' Now
Next Year:	1978

"Strawberry Letter 23" is a song written and composed by Shuggie Otis from his 1971 album Freedom Flight. It is also widely known by the 1977 cover version recorded by the Brothers Johnson and produced by Quincy Jones.

Lyrics

The song's chorus says "Strawberry Letter 22" instead of the actual title of the song.^[4] This is because the premise of the song is that a couple is exchanging love letters in musical form. The singer is creating "Strawberry Letter 23" as a reply to the song he has received from his lover, and he refers to her previous message as "Strawberry Letter 22" when replying.^{[5] [6]}

The Brothers Johnson version

George Johnson, of the Brothers Johnson, was dating one of Otis's cousins when he came across the 1971 album Freedom Flight. The group then recorded "Strawberry Letter 23" for their 1977 album Right on Time, which was produced by Quincy Jones, and the album went platinum. Their rendition hit the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number five and reached number one on the Soul Singles chart in 1977.^[7] Studio guitarist Lee Ritenour recreated Otis' original guitar solo for the Brothers Johnson cover. The 12" single was pressed on red strawberry-scented vinyl.^[8] The 7" single was originally released in a strawberry-scented sleeve.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1977–1978)	Peak position
Australia (KMR) ^[9]	25
Canada RPM Top Singles	8
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary^[10]	43
New Zealand (RIANZ)^[11]	2
UK	35
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[12]	5
U.S. Billboard R&B	1
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary^[13]	38
U.S. Cash Box Top 100	8

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)	Rank
Canada ^[14]	85
New Zealand ^[15]	47
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 ^[16]	54
U.S. Cash Box	64

Legacy

Pitchfork chose the Brothers Johnson version as the 134th best song of the 1970s.^[17]

Soundtrack appearances

• The song is heard very briefly in the Quentin Tarantino 1994 film Pulp Fiction as Jules and Vincent walk down the hallway of an apartment building.
• The song is played at length in the Quentin Tarantino 1997 film Jackie Brown and is featured on the movie soundtrack album.
• The song can also be heard in the TV series Six Feet Under (2001–2005), Season 5, Episode 9 "Ecotone" (July 31, 2005).
• The song is featured in Nip/Tuck (2003–2010) Season 3, Episode #2 "Kiki" (September 27, 2005).
• The Shuggie Otis version can be heard on the 2005 film Munich.
• The song is featured in the 2020 supernatural horror film "Run Sweetheart Run."
• The Shuggie Otis version can be heard at the end of Sex Education (TV series) Season 4, Episode 6 (September 21, 2023).
• The Shuggie Otis version can also be heard in Our Flag Means Death Season 2, Episode 1 (October 5, 2023).

Sampling

The track, specifically its main melody, has been in music sampling over 90 times, including:

• The Vic Reeves cover song "Born Free" from his 1991 album I Will Cure You.
• The Negativland song "White Rabbit and a Dog Named Gidget" from their 1989 album Helter Stupid.
• The First Light song "Loving You" from their 1989 album You Had It All.
• The Silk song "Baby It's You" from their 1992 album Lose Control.
• The DJ Quik song "Safe + Sound" from his 1995 album Safe + Sound.
• The St. Lunatics 1996 single "Gimme What U Got".
• The Das EFX song "Whut Goes Around" from their 1998 album Generation EFX.
• The Messy Marv's & Mitchy Slick song On the One featuring Yukmouth from their 2007 album Messy Slick.
• The Girl Talk song "Oh No" from his 2010 album All Day.
• The Justice song "Canon" from their 2011 album Audio, Video, Disco.
• The Xavier Naidoo & Kool Savas song "X.A.V.A.S".
• The Big Sean & Metro Boomin song "No Hearts, No Love" from their 2017 album Double or Nothing.

Interpolations

Parts of the song, especially the distinctive, rhythmic melody of the song's verse, have also been imitated or interpolated in other songs:

• The Color Me Badd #1 R&B hit "I Wanna Sex You Up" (1992)
• The Da Brat song "We Ready", from the album Unrestricted (2000)
• The OutKast hit "Ms. Jackson" (2001)
• The Westside Connection song "Gangsta Nation" (2003)
• The Beyoncé song "Be with You", from the album Dangerously in Love (2003)
• The Justin Timberlake song "Señorita" (2003)
• The Coheed and Cambria song "The Running Free", from the album (2007)
• The Julian Perretta single "Wonder Why" (2010)
• The Pretty Lights song "Rainbows and Waterfalls" (2017)

Tevin Campbell version

Strawberry Letter 23
Cover:	Strawberry Letter 23.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Tevin Campbell
Album:	T.E.V.I.N.
Released:	May 14, 1992
Recorded:	1991
Genre:	R&B, new jack swing
Length:	4:07
Label:	Qwest/Warner Bros.
Producer:	Quincy Jones
Prev Title:	Goodbye
Prev Year:	1992
Next Title:	Alone with You
Next Year:	1992

"Strawberry Letter 23" is the fifth single from R&B singer Tevin Campbell's 1992 debut studio album T.E.V.I.N.. It peaked at #53 on the Hot 100 and #40 on the R&B charts.^[18] The Tevin Campbell version is more up-tempo, with a new jack swing beat, and includes a rap that mentions "the letter 23."

Track listings

US Promo CD

1. Strawberry Letter 23 (Album Edit w/o Rap) 3:48
2. Strawberry Letter 23 (Album Version) 4:07
3. Strawberry Letter 23 (Single Remix w/Rap) 4:15
4. Strawberry Letter 23 (Single Remix w/o Rap) 3:35

US Maxi-CD

1. Strawberry Letter 23 (QDIII Mix Without Rap) 3:45
2. Strawberry Letter 23 (QDIII Mix With Rap) 4:12
3. Strawberry Letter 23 (QDIII Fat Choice Mix) 4:48
4. Strawberry Letter 23 (Album Edit Without Rap) 3:24
5. Strawberry Letter 23 (Soul Mix With Rap) 4:15
6. Strawberry Letter 23 (T.C.'s Choice) 4:04
7. Strawberry Letter 23 (Soul Mix Without Rap) 3:35
8. Strawberry Letter 23 (Club Mix) 6:28
9. Strawberry Letter 23 (Club Dub) 5:58
10. Strawberry Letter 23 (Naughty Beats) 4:42

Charts

Other covers

• An instrumental version was done by Phil Upchurch on his 1978 album Phil Upchurch around the same time as the Brothers Johnson version, which is a more upbeat funky version.^[19]
• The Scottish band Pop Wallpaper released Strawberry Letter 23, "remodelled /.../ for the dance floor", as a single in 1986, with Audrey Redpath on vocals.^[20]
• The short-lived R&B duo Kiara included a cover version of the song on its 1988 album To Change and/or Make a Difference, which peaked at #23 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart.
• Digital Underground did a hip hop version in the early 1990s and it is included on their 1999 album The Lost Files.^[21]
• Quincy Jones, who produced the Brothers Johnson's version, covered the song himself, with singer Akon, on the album Q: Soul Bossa Nostra (2010).
• Saxophonist Jessy J covered the song on her album My One and Only One (2015).
• Malaysian singer Yuna recorded the song for a commercial for Swedish fashion retailer H&M starring Ukrainian-Canadian model Daria Werbowy that aired in March 2015.
• In June 2015, Faith No More covered a large portion of the song during an interlude during "Midlife Crisis" at the Pinkpop festival and also at Download Festival.
• On July 22, 2017, Phish covered the song during its "Baker's Dozen"^[22] run of shows at Madison Square Garden,^[23] during the "Strawberry" themed night of that run. The song made its second appearance during the band's Fall 2018 Tour run at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia, and it was performed again during the band's Summer 2019 Tour at the BB&T Pavilion in New Jersey. It was later performed by Phish on December 6, 2019, at the North Charleston Coliseum in South Carolina, and August 3, 2021, at the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville. Phish played it again on June 4, 2022, at Deer Creek in Noblesville, Indiana. Covered again when Phish opened the first set on 8/6/2024 at Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI.
• CeeLo Green performed a cover version of the song as the voice of the giant panda Shuggie in the premiere episode of .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Sacher . Andrew . 30 essential psychedelic soul songs . BrooklynVegan . 2 March 2017 . 3 April 2023 . en.
2. Book: Bradley, Larry. The Alternative Jukebox. November 4, 2014. The 1970s: Shuggie Otis: "Strawberry Letter 23. 46. Cassell. 978-1-84403-789-6.
3. Web site: The Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23 / Dancin' And Prancin' - A&M - USA - 1949-S . 45cat . 2022-02-19.
4. Web site: Strawberry Letter 23 . Shuggie . Otis . . April 15, 2022.
5. Web site: SONG RECAP: The Brothers Johnson - "Strawberry Letter 23" . Jessica . Klausing . ontheflipsidemusic.com . February 14, 2017 . April 15, 2022.
6. Web site: Strawberry Letter 23 History . phish.net . April 15, 2022.
7. Book: Whitburn, Joel. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. 2004. 80. Joel Whitburn.
8. Web site: The Brothers Johnson! Secrets Of "Strawberry Letter 23" Revealed! Great '70's Funk! Tarantino's "Strawberry" Love! . John . Rieber . johnrieber.com . August 20, 2016 . April 15, 2022.
9. Web site: Australian Chart Books. Australianchartbooks.com.au. 14 June 2019.
10. Web site: Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . 1977-10-01 . 2019-07-11.
11. http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20rianz&qsongid=2383#n_view_location Flavour of New Zealand, 12 February 1978
12. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 -
13. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn . 1993 . Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 . Record Research . 35.
14. Web site: Image : RPM Weekly. Library and Archives. Canada. 17 July 2013. Bac-lac.gc.ca. 14 June 2019.
15. Web site: The Official New Zealand Music Chart. Nztop40.co.nz. 14 June 2019.
16. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1977/Top 100 Songs of 1977. Musicoutfitters.com. 14 June 2019.
17. Web site: The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s - Page 4 . Pitchfork.com . 22 August 2016 . 2016-09-03.
18. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 99.
19. https://www.allmusic.com/album/phil-upchurch-mw0000907713 Phil Upchurch - Phil Upchurch (1978) album
20. Web site: Pop Wallpaper – Strawberry Letter 23 / Nothing Can Call Me Back. 2020-05-25. discogs.com. 1986 .
21. https://www.allmusic.com/album/lost-files-mw0001115020 Digital Underground - The Lost Files (1999) album
22. News: Phish Fans Flock to New York for 13-Concert Marathon. Caroline. Tell. 18 July 2017. 14 June 2019. The New York Times.
23. Web site: Jul 22, 2017 Setlist - Phish.net. Phish.net. 14 June 2019.