With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

Play It Again Mayhem – “Strawberry Letter 23” – The Brothers Johnson January 2, 2025

Filed under: Play It Again Mayhem — justwilliam1959 @ 4:32 pm
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Here comes the 32nd track in the Play It Again Mayhem series. This time it is the turn of the Brothers Johnson with “Strawberry Letter 23”. This is among my favourite songs of all time. The song was written, composed and recorded by Shuggie Otis for his 1971 album ‘Freedom Flight’. The Brothers Johnson version was produced by Quincy Jones and released in 1977. Why is it called “Strawberry Letter 23”? Well the lyric tells the tale of two lovers exchanging strawberry scented letters. The singer is replying to letter 22. The Brothers Johnson version reached number 5 in the US charts and topped the US R & B chart. Sadly it only got to number 35 in the UK.

The Shuggie Otis original was sampled on Outkast’s 2001 hit “Ms. Jackson”. Of the 32 songs in the Play It Again Mayhem series this one makes it 20 from the 70s. Check out the playlist below and let me know what your favourites are. I started this series in honour of Johnnie Walker’s Sounds Of The 70s radio show feature ‘Johnnie’s Jukebox’. His passing saddened me, and many others, he was a giant of a broadcaster.

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“I won’t always love these selfish things” – Advent day 23 December 23, 2013

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 6:07 am
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The_Number_23_by_BrettYoncakI think it’s really starting to feel like Christmas now. It’s 23rd December or Christmas Eve Eve as some like to call it. The With Just A Hint Of Mayhem advent posts have reached day 23 and you will now be entertained by two songs with the number 23 in their title.

Strawberry Letter Twenty 'Fro perhaps?

Strawberry Letter Twenty ‘Fro perhaps?

One of my favourite songs of all time is first and it is a song that I have blogged about quite a few times before. I give you the Brothers Johnson with the magnificent Shuggie Otis penned “Strawberry Letter 23”. Shuggie wrote and recorded the song for his 1971 album ‘Freedom Flight‘. George Johnson was dating one of Shuggie’s cousins a few years later who gave him that Shuggie album. George was so taken with the song that he and his brother Louis, the pair were known as the Brothers Johnson recorded it. It appeared on their album ‘Right On Time’ in 1977 and was also released as a single that year. The Brothers Johnson recording was produced by Quincy Jones and featured Lee Ritenour on lead guitar. It made it to number five in the US charts and number one in the US R & B chart. But sadly barely troubled the UK chart reaching a lowly number 35. I was always miffed about that given the shite that does sell by the bucket load. I have so far only ever met one other person who sees this as one of their favourite songs; take a bow Fraser Matthews.

A2ED8BD34DAB1DE828C516F4C45865F0Jimmy Eat World get the next song, simply called “23”. It is the closing track on their fifth album, ‘Futures’ from 2004. Along with three other tracks from the album (“Kill”, “Work” and “Polaris”) “23” was used to soundtrack part of the TV series ‘One Tree Hill. The band formed in Arizona in 1993. The name came from a spat between the younger brothers of guitarist Tom Linton. The brothers are called Jim and Ed and they often fought. After one argument Ed Linton made a crayon drawing of Jim shoving the planet Earth into his mouth. He had captioned it ‘Jimmy Eat World’. They should be touring in the UK next year. I hope that means that they will be putting in an appearance at the Reading Festival in 2014.