Which 1977 Brothers Johnson hit was written by Shuggie Otis and topped Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart?

The 1977 Brothers Johnson hit written by Shuggie Otis that topped Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart was “Strawberry Letter 23.”

Otis wrote and recorded the original for his 1971 album Freedom Flight. The Brothers Johnson later made the song widely famous with a cover produced by Quincy Jones for their 1977 album Right on Time. George Johnson reportedly encountered Otis’s recording through a family connection and brought the song to the group’s attention.

The Brothers Johnson version reached No. 1 on Billboard’s U.S. R&B chart, then known as the Hot Soul Singles chart. It also crossed successfully into pop, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The recording’s distinctive guitar work helped preserve the psychedelic-soul character of Otis’s original while giving it a polished funk and disco setting.

The title can confuse listeners because the chorus refers to “strawberry letter 22.” That lyric describes the previous letter in an imagined exchange; the song itself is the twenty-third letter. Another unusual detail is that a 12-inch single edition was pressed on red, strawberry-scented vinyl.