Strawberry Letter 23
Encyclopedia
"Strawberry Letter 23" is a song written by Shuggie Otis
, although known most prominently by the version recorded by The Brothers Johnson. Otis wrote the song for a girlfriend who used strawberry
-scented paper when she wrote letters to him. George Johnson of The Brothers Johnson was dating one of Otis' cousins when he came across Freedom Flight
, Otis' 1972 album
that featured the song. The group later recorded it for their 1977 album Right On Time, under the legendary
producer Quincy Jones
, and the album went platinum. "Strawberry Letter 23", as recorded by The Brothers Johnson in a funkier, more dance-oriented vein than the original Otis version, hit the Hot 100 and peaked at number five and reached number one on the Soul Singles chart in 1977. The famous guitar solo
in this song was originally recorded by Shuggie Otis. Studio guitar player Lee Ritenour
later recreated Shuggie Otis' original solo for The Brothers Johnson 1977 album.
An instrumental version was done by Phil Upchurch around the same time as the Brothers Johnson version, which is a more upbeat funky version. 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. The song was also covered by Tevin Campbell
on his debut release, T.E.V.I.N. in 1992 and hit #40 on the Billboard R&B charts, it's a new jack swing
version of the song, a sound very popular at that time. Digital Underground also did a hiphop version in the early 1990s. It was used in Quentin Tarantino's film Jackie Brown
. It was featured in the second episode of the third season of Nip/Tuck
.
In 2002 it was included in the Collector's Edition of the Pulp Fiction soundtrack
and in the same year was also featured in a commercial for Special K
Red Berries breakfast cereal and one for Diet Coke
.
More recently a 2010 version was done by Quincy Jones
feat Akon
, who does the vocals. A music video was made to accompany the song where Quincy and Akon are discussing letters, Akon received from a girl then Quincy starts playing the song on piano and the video then cuts between Akon singing and himself holding a girl, presumably the letter writer.
's 1992 #1 R&B hit "I Wanna Sex You Up
".
DJ Quik
also uses a sample from the Brother's Johnson's version in his song "Safe & Sound" off the same title track album in 1995.
It is also sampled by Beyoncé in her song Be With You from 2003's Dangerously in Love
.
Silk
's "Baby It's You" sampled the song on their debut album Lose Control
.
Negativland
also sampled it in "White Rabbit and a Dog Named Gidget" from their album The Perfect Cut.
The St. Lunatics
also sampled this song heavily on their first independently released 1996 single "Gimme What U Got".
The song was also sampled in OutKast
's Ms. Jackson
as well as in Girl Talk
's "Oh No" for the album All Day.
's debut album T.E.V.I.N.. The song didn't gain much charts success as it did for The Brothers Johnson or as much success as Tevin's previous hits only peaking at #53 on the Hot 100 and #40 on the R&B charts. Two of the main differences between the original and the Tevin Campbell remake is that (1) Campbell's version is more up-tempo, and (2) his version also includes a rap that mentions "the letter 23."
Shuggie Otis
Shuggie Otis is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, and multi-instrumentalist....
, although known most prominently by the version recorded by The Brothers Johnson. Otis wrote the song for a girlfriend who used strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
-scented paper when she wrote letters to him. George Johnson of The Brothers Johnson was dating one of Otis' cousins when he came across Freedom Flight
Freedom Flight (Shuggie Otis album)
Freedom Flight , released in the fall of 1971 on Epic Records, is the third album by Shuggie Otis. The album contains the original version of "Strawberry Letter 23", a 1977 hit for The Brothers Johnson.-Track listing:...
, Otis' 1972 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
that featured the song. The group later recorded it for their 1977 album Right On Time, under the legendary
producer Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
, and the album went platinum. "Strawberry Letter 23", as recorded by The Brothers Johnson in a funkier, more dance-oriented vein than the original Otis version, hit the Hot 100 and peaked at number five and reached number one on the Soul Singles chart in 1977. The famous guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
in this song was originally recorded by Shuggie Otis. Studio guitar player Lee Ritenour
Lee Ritenour
Lee Mack Ritenour is an American jazz guitarist who has recorded over 42 albums, appeared on over 3000 sessions, and has charted over 30 instrumental and vocal contemporary jazz hits since 1976. One of his most popular songs was the smash hit, “Is It You” in 1981. Ritenour is considered to be a...
later recreated Shuggie Otis' original solo for The Brothers Johnson 1977 album.
An instrumental version was done by Phil Upchurch around the same time as the Brothers Johnson version, which is a more upbeat funky version. 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
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart. The song was also covered by Tevin Campbell
Tevin Campbell
Tevin Jermod Campbell is an American R&B singer-songwriter and actor. He scored a string of R&B chart hits as a teenager in the early to mid-1990s.-Music career:...
on his debut release, T.E.V.I.N. in 1992 and hit #40 on the Billboard R&B charts, it's a new jack swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
version of the song, a sound very popular at that time. Digital Underground also did a hiphop version in the early 1990s. It was used in Quentin Tarantino's film Jackie Brown
Jackie Brown (film)
Jackie Brown is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch by American novelist Elmore Leonard and pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation films....
. It was featured in the second episode of the third season of Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
.
In 2002 it was included in the Collector's Edition of the Pulp Fiction soundtrack
Pulp Fiction (soundtrack)
Music from the Motion Picture Pulp Fiction is the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction. No traditional film score was commissioned for Pulp Fiction. The film contains a mix of American rock and roll, surf music, pop and soul...
and in the same year was also featured in a commercial for Special K
Special K
Special K is a lightly toasted breakfast cereal manufactured by the Kellogg Company. The cereal was introduced to the United States in 1956. It is made primarily from rice and wheat....
Red Berries breakfast cereal and one for Diet Coke
Diet Coke
Diet Coke is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. It was first introduced in the United States on August 9, 1982, as the first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark...
.
More recently a 2010 version was done by Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
feat Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
, who does the vocals. A music video was made to accompany the song where Quincy and Akon are discussing letters, Akon received from a girl then Quincy starts playing the song on piano and the video then cuts between Akon singing and himself holding a girl, presumably the letter writer.
Sampling
Echoes of the song's melody can be heard on Color Me BaddColor Me Badd
Color Me Badd was an R&B vocal group that was formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. The original members of the group were Bryan Abrams ; Mark Calderon ; Sam Watters and Kevin Thornton...
's 1992 #1 R&B hit "I Wanna Sex You Up
I Wanna Sex You Up
"I Wanna Sex You Up" is a hit single for R&B group Color Me Badd in 1991, released as the first single from their debut album C.M.B.. It achieved a huge success in the U.S., UK and New Zealand, where it reached #1 on the charts. It spent four weeks at No...
".
DJ Quik
DJ Quik
David Martin Blake , better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an MC and record producer. According to Quik himself, his stage name reflects his ability to produce records in short time....
also uses a sample from the Brother's Johnson's version in his song "Safe & Sound" off the same title track album in 1995.
It is also sampled by Beyoncé in her song Be With You from 2003's Dangerously in Love
Dangerously in Love
Dangerously in Love is the debut solo album of American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, released on June 22, 2003, by Columbia Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in 2002 to 2003 at several studios, during the hiatus of her then-group Destiny's Child...
.
Silk
Silk (group)
Silk is an American R&B group, formed in 1989 in Atlanta, Georgia.-Career:Silk are best known for their hit singles, "Happy Days", "Freak Me" from their debut album, Lose Control. Another hit from Lose Control, "Girl U For Me", helped the album reach double platinum status...
's "Baby It's You" sampled the song on their debut album Lose Control
Lose Control (album)
Lose Control is the debut album by Silk. Primarily produced by Keith Sweat, the album went to number-one on the R&B Albums chart. Included the hit single "Freak Me" which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was later covered in 1998 by British band Another Level. Lose Control...
.
Negativland
Negativland
Negativland is an experimental music and sound collage band which originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. They took their name from a Neu! song, while their record label is named after another Neu! song...
also sampled it in "White Rabbit and a Dog Named Gidget" from their album The Perfect Cut.
The St. Lunatics
St. Lunatics
The St. Lunatics are a hip hop group from St. Louis, Missouri formed in 1995. The group consists of Nelly, Ali, Murphy Lee, Kyjuan and City Spud. Former member Slo'Down left the group after a dispute.- Career :...
also sampled this song heavily on their first independently released 1996 single "Gimme What U Got".
The song was also sampled in OutKast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
's Ms. Jackson
Ms. Jackson
"Ms. Jackson" is a song by OutKast and the second single from their fourth album Stankonia. It topped the U.S. charts for the week of February 17, 2001, and won a 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. It also reached number one in Germany and number two in the United...
as well as in Girl Talk
Girl Talk (musician)
Gregg Michael Gillis , better known by his stage name Girl Talk, is an American musician specializing in mashups and digital sampling. Gillis has released five LPs on the record label Illegal Art and EPs on 333 and 12 Apostles....
's "Oh No" for the album All Day.
Tevin Campbell version
"Strawberry Letter 23" is the fifth single from R&B singer Tevin CampbellTevin Campbell
Tevin Jermod Campbell is an American R&B singer-songwriter and actor. He scored a string of R&B chart hits as a teenager in the early to mid-1990s.-Music career:...
's debut album T.E.V.I.N.. The song didn't gain much charts success as it did for The Brothers Johnson or as much success as Tevin's previous hits only peaking at #53 on the Hot 100 and #40 on the R&B charts. Two of the main differences between the original and the Tevin Campbell remake is that (1) Campbell's version is more up-tempo, and (2) his version also includes a rap that mentions "the letter 23."