FUNK!| FIRST TIME HEARING The Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23 REACTION 

This single came out in red vinyl and strawberry scented.

Sometimes, I get emotional when I hear this psychedelic funk masterpiece. I just start daydreaming about my childhood in the 70s, and the memories just come pouring in. I'm so glad y'all finally reacted to this. Peace! ❤

And just like that, it's the summer of 1977 all over again

One of my all-time favorites. The original by Shug Otis is pretty good too, just more of a rock song than a Funk sound. In case you're wondering Strawberry Letter 22 referenced in the song is his girlfriend's letter to him. His response is the song itself, making it Strawberry Letter 23. The guitar solo is iconic and considered one of the most difficult to play. The guitarist is actually Lee Ritenour, and I'm sure I spelled that wrong.

Also do "I'll Be Good To You", it delivers a funky love song.

Quincy Jones co-produced this phenomenal groove. Some of the best musicians in the business played on this track and the epic album this song came from. Thank you Jay & Amber for doing a 1st reaction on this great cut 🎶

Shuggie Otis originally recorded this on his 1971 album “Freedom Flight”. He wrote it at the age of 17 for his girlfriend describing the feelings evoked by "Strawberry Letter 22," the title indicating the hopes of another letter. It is commonly believed that she wrote to him on strawberry-scented paper but Otis told Spinner in a 2013 interview that the song has nothing to do with the smell of strawberries. "What I pictured when I was writing that song, was a girl handing a guy a pink envelope," he explained. "A love letter. The guy and the girl had written each other 22 letters so far. And the 23rd one he writes is a song. But no scents." - Songfacts

Another vote for their song, I'll Be Good To You. There's also a remake of it with Quincy Jones featuring Ray Charles and Chaka Khan. And yes, you should check out the original Strawberry Letter 23 version from Shugie Otis.

Despite its simplicity, that's one of the coolest guitar solos ever.

The Brothers Johnson never disappoint, always a solid groove and creative arrangements. Funky and melodic in just the right mix. Their tracks, like this gem, still sound fresh, even in the future now. ✌️

The LEGENDARY Iconic Brothers Johnson 💯

The Brothers Johnson "I'll Be Good To You" ...R.I.P. Louis. 🙏❤️

This came out in 1977, and it was a nice hit. That was during my house party days, as a teenager. The bass player was one of the best. Louis could use his teeth to play the bass. They called him thunder thumbs. One of the brothers, Louis Johnson sadly passed away in 2015.

Originally written and performed by Shuggie Otis. I believe he wrote this song for a girlfriend at the age of 17 💜

I absolutely love this song! I have this on my current playlists! The Brothers Johnson were so smooth! Love them! Next time you should react to their song “Get The Funk Out Ma Face” or “I’ll Be Good To You”! ❤❤

All right my babies.... Big time banger ‼️ If you noticed in the lyrics it said "Strawberry Letter 22" it's a reference to a 22nd letter that he got from a woman. His response back to her and makes it the Strawberry Letter 23. And check this out...If you purchased the lp record back in the seventies, the album was see-through red in color, the label in the middle of the record was a scratch and sniff and it smelled like strawberry ‼️ Most definitely a collector's item for sure ‼️💯🔥😎👍🏼

Thanks for playing one of my suggestions! I'm sure others have also suggested it since it's such an amazing tune. Way too cool...reminders of younger years!

Their song Get The Funk Out My Face will absolutely blow your mind.

Jay & Amber, you'll love their "I'll Be Good to You"!!

I am 67yrs old and when this came out I danced to this song over and over, night after night. When you hear this ya gotta dance!

Love this song so much! I didn't have a 45 of it, but I did of "Stomp!" ... which I pretty much wore out! I still have it. ETA: Woohoo, y'all are almost at 500K subscribers!

With Quincey Jones producing the Brothers Johnson jams they couldn’t help but be epic !!

My favorite Brothers Johnson's song. #1. Love them. 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤

This song is amazing! I remember at the time it seemed like the love child of Parliament Funkadelic and Yes. Everyone loved this song and it always filled the dance floor.

*_'A present, from you - Strawberry letter 22'_* one of the most beautiful poetic lines ever. I love how the title of the song is inferred from this line, but never used in the song

Absolutely one of my favorite Brothers Johnson songs

One of my all time favorite song from that era as well. Their "I'll Be Good To You"" and "Stomp" were big hits and were my two other faves by them. Do "I'll Be Good To You" next because the groove is so smooth. By the way, Louis Johnson, the bass player here, was one of the first followers of Larry Graham of Sly and The Family Stone, the originator of the funky slap bass, which Johnson uses so well here.

Thanks so much for doing a Brothers Johnson song! You should also love Brothers Johnson - Get The Funk Out Ma Face

This brings back a lot of memories from 77-78, it was also used in the movie "JACKIE BROWN" which would be a great movie for Jay and Amber to watch and react, with, Robert De Niro, Samuel Jackson, Pamala Greer

1 of the best and most original singles of all time.

One of my favorites and throws me right back to being a younger teen in the late 70s.

That album cover is so nostalgic for me. As a 7 year old, I would have my sweet mom play this song over and over while I stared at the cover. Same thing with the Isley Brother and Atlantis. This takes me back to my childhood, which is a beautiful thing.

Thunder-thumbs and Lightening Licks: The Brother’s Johnson, I love them!!!! ❤️❤️❤️

I never get over how lucky I was to be growing up in the 60's and 70's~ the diversity in the music that was out there hasn't been topped (imo) in the decades that followed, until quite possibly now!! Thanks for taking me back~ ❤

Brothers Johnson were amazing!!!! Super super talented!!!!!

Great great song, Get the funk out of my face, and Stomp are also great songs by them.

I was 8 years old in 1977 when this came out. My parents didn't listen to these types of bands, but my aunts did and I remember dancing around to this song! Fun times. That is when I fell in love with Funk/Soul/R&B music. Great song and great reaction! ❣️✌🏻

Takes me straight back to high school in the 70s...love it!

This reminds me of riding down Main Street as a teen played this song every time

This song is magic.

A MUST HEAR uplifting R&B/Soul Classic,, The Blackbyrds "Walking In Rhythm"..TRUST ME.❤

Such a killer tune! Not just a funky piece of music, but a very creative work of art!

The Genius of the LEGENDARY Iconic musical treasure Mr Quincy Delight Jones 💯

The funk kicks in right after the epic guitar solo ! Rainbows and waterfalls run through my mind 🎶🎶🎶 My brother was high AF when he wrote this jam.

Love this song!

One of THE BEST.....

I keep telling you guys, The 70’s RULES !!

Great tune the Brothers Johnson are brilliant. Their song STOMP is one of the greatest dance tunes in my opinion, the bass WOW.

My generation but it never gets old.❤❤❤❤❤

All through the morning rain I gaze The sun doesn't shine Rainbows and waterfalls run through my mind

So very good! We were lucky to have this music in the 70s and I am so glad a newer generation is discovering it. Back in the 70s we just liked it. I grew up in a very small non diverse town in Michigan at the time but all of us love this music.

Awesome music. My neighbors were all black my entire life. If I was visiting this would be playing and I always loved it then and I still love it now. Know it WORD FOR WORD

Oh yes the Brothers Johnson. Remember playing this on 8 track in my 1972 Chevy Malibu thru Kraco speakers and a power booster. The women loved Louis because he had the perfect afro for the times. Those brothers were funky. I would to you react to Tom Browne Jamaica Funk. Needs to be the video version since it adds so much to the song.

Oh this is one of my all-time favorite songs..thank you!!!

I had this album in 1977. So many memories listening to it in the summer with the windows down and my friends singing

This song is perfection. 😍

Louis Johnson R.I.P. one of the best slap bassist ever. Stomp and Get The Funk Outta My Face really show case his bass playing.

Amber, I love your Thin Lizzy shirt! How can you not love The Brothers Johnson???

I love me some Brothers Johnson. They had so many hits they used to be session players for I believe Quincy Jones but once they were playing everybody hit the floor. Rest in peace, Louis Johnson . You should check out "Get the Funk Out My Face"

Hadn't heard this in a while. One of my all-time favorites!!! Yeah, summer all the time!!! Top down, chop down, ride into the sunset or the dawn..whatever ya want!!!

I know y'all do movie reactions as well. If you've watched Jackie Brown (film by Quentin Tarantino), this song plays during a crucial scene.

This is my favorite from Brothers Johnson. I love funk too and this was a great one! ❤

I'll be good to you is a hit too. Can't go wrong with the 70s music

My sister had this on 45 and I admit that I stole it from her (she still doesn't know!), and I still have it! I played it out and out and out to the point of wearing it out. I especially love the middle bridge because of how it is so unique and quirky and how it builds on itself each time it repeats with different and more complex instrumentation. Amazing SONG!

My all-time favorite by The Brothers Johnson. Y’all taking me back I was young, but I swear I could remember when this came out the album smelled like strawberries, it actually smelled like strawberries.

One of my favorite 70s song jams

One of my favorite songs. Haven't heard it in a long time. Not even on the oldie stations.

The brothers johnson a great band .. And lyrics was something , deep...deep .

Grew up in the 70’s this was the jam. I was 11 we roller skated to this! Imagine…. we coasted to this

It is amazing how music can transport you back to a specific place and time. For me, this song takes me back to my time in navy basic training in the late summer and early fall of 1977. If the day went well we were allowed to listen to the radio. We agreed on a Top 40 station in order to try to please everyone. This song and Rita Coolidtge's cover of Boz Scaggs' Were All Alone always take me back to that time.

Thunder Thumbs and Lightning Licks! Love from a metal-head!

This is Vibe, on another lvl, this song is timeless, gets better n better.

Y'all need to check and compare this to the original artists who wrote and performed this. His name: Shuggie Otis. It's good to always hear the original.

This one and Get the Funk out my face. I can listen over and over.

Used to deliver newspapers as a kid in Brooklyn NY when this song came out. Love it. AM jamming

Really love this song. It just makes me feel I'm in the 70s with Bell bottoms and Big hear. I was born in 1974 turning 50 a little later this month. I can't remember practically anything about the 70s must have been a good time to live in though.

Guitarist/vocalist George and bassist/vocalist Louis formed the band Johnson Three Plus One with older brother Tommy and their cousin Alex Weir while attending school in Los Angeles, California. When they became professionals, the band backed such touring R&B acts as Bobby Womack and the Supremes. George and Louis Johnson later joined Billy Preston's band and wrote selections for his albums Music Is My Life and The Kids & Me before leaving his group in 1973. In 1976, the Brothers covered the Beatles' song, "Hey Jude", for the musical documentary All This and World War II. Quincy Jones hired them to play on his LP Mellow Madness, and recorded four of their songs, including "Is It Love That We're Missing?" and "Just a Taste of Me". After touring with various artists including Bobby Womack and Billy Preston, they were hired by Quincy Jones for a tour in Japan and produced their debut album Look Out for #1, released in March 1976, which went to number 9 on the U.S. Billboard chart. Their Right on Time album was released in May 1977 and reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 200. Blam!! came out in August 1978 and reached number 7 on the Billboard 200. Two of the band's songs were featured on the soundtrack of the 1976 film Mother, Jugs & Speed and one on the 1997 film Jackie Brown. The instrumental track "Thunder Thumbs and Lightnin' Licks" refers to the brothers' nicknames. "Get the Funk Out Ma Face" was cowritten with Quincy Jones. Their popular album Light Up the Night was released in March 1980 and rose to #5 on the Billboard 200. It was number 46 on the "Top 100 LPs of 1980" list in Rolling Stone. The brothers self-produced the subsequent album, Winners; released in July 1981, it only reached #48 on the Billboard 200. Among their most popular songs are "I'll Be Good to You" (Billboard Hot 100 #3 in 1976) which prominently featured Syreeta Wright, "Strawberry Letter 23" (Hot 100 #5 in 1977, originally recorded by Shuggie Otis), "Ain't We Funkin' Now" (1978), and "Stomp!" (Hot 100 #7 and Hot Dance Music/Club Play #1 in 1980). Their styles include funk, and R&B ballads. Each album also included at least one instrumental cut that would either be considered light jazz ("Tomorrow", 1976; "Q", 1977; "Streetwave", 1978; "Smilin' On Ya", 1980; "Tokyo", 1984) or funk ("Thunder Thumbs & Lightnin' Licks", 1976; "Brother Man", 1977; "Mista' Cool", 1978; "Celebrations", 1980).

Great choice, great song. Rufus and chaka khan tell me something good could be a great choice to satisfy your funk needs.👌👌

This song and “ I’ll be good to you” are my favorites

THEIR VERY BEST SONG.. Get the Funk out of my face

I remember this from the time, haven't heard it in decades. Thank you, job done today, have a giant smile on my face 😊

Loved The Brothers Johnson! A couple of others to try are I'll Be Good To You, and Get The Funk Out A Ma Face! ❤❤❤❤

Another song that you both will love by these brother`s is " Get The Funk Out Ma Face "...Jay will love the bass guitar in this one ( Get The Funk Out Ma Face ) by Louis Johnson.

My favorite song from them

FINALLY!! That song was and still is one of the BEST funk songs EVER!! Now you need to hear 'Get The Funk Out My Face'🤗🤗

Beautiful song. Glad you reviewed it!

Wow! And just like that it's 1977. Thanks so much for taking me back to a simpler time in my life... 😃

In a sense back in the day I thought this song was the sister song to ‘I’m not in love’ by 10cc. Just a good , great feeling vibe!!!

Great reaction guys. This was long overdue brothers Johnson are a tremendous artist. If I may suggest once again, Michael Bolton, Richard Marx, and someone you have not reacted to yet Neil Sedaka.

Brothers Johnson ❤

I've been waiting for you guys to get to this one! One of my FAVORITES from '77!!!

One of my all time favorite songs!

Brothers Johnson, get the funk out my face hits the bass hard

I remember blasting this on my car radio driving down the highway in the 70's. :)

The Brothers John have always been a favorite of mine for for almost 50 years now and their music has never gone out of style......................and never will. I was a DJ back in the mid-to-late 1970's and three of their songs were on every playlist I put together. You've already reacted to Stomp, and now Strawberry Letter 23. Then next one you should react to is the third in my trifecta, another great song "I'll Be Good To You". There is a very nice live video on The Midnight Special page on YT. I still have quite a few of my vinyl from that time and one of the best is an extended version of the song, and is struck in pink clear vinyl. It's very cool.

A glorious interpretation of the Shuggie Otis original -- Quincy Jones did a masterful production job here. Another good Brothers Johnson tune is their first big hit, "I'll Be Good To You" from 1976. Bassist Louis Johnson went to play on Michael Jackson's Thriller album. That's his famous bass line at the opening of "Billie Jean."

Man, this was FUNK!!! My mom and dad wore the eff out of this record and 8 track. Like it literally could not be played anymore. Them boys SLAYED!!!

Best high hat symbol Solo you're here in funk And that's why they're in the rock and roll hall of fame

This was my first song I ever remembered hearing when I was 2 1/2 years old. THE MOST SPECIAL song I know in my life. Will always cherish the groove that got my life long interest in music

Dorothy Hamill skated to that song in 1977 in the Ice Capades - she won a gold medal in the 1976 olympics- she'd spin like a drill during the guitar solo - awesome stuff back then!