It Was The Third Of June......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZt5Q-u4crc


While many will always connect this day of the year (June 3rd) with Bobbie Gentry and her 1967 hit "ODE TO BILLIE JOE" (click above for her SMOTHER BROTHERS show appearance courtesy of YouTube), there were several other significant events that occurred on the third day of the sixth month while we at Vanderbilt.

One happened while we were just finishing our high school graduations and getting ready to come to campus. It was June 3, 1969 when NBC made one of the biggest blunder in TV programming history, cancelling STAR TREK and running the 79th and last episode (Turnabout Intruder) on this date. The network blamed continued low ratings for ending the show after three seasons. Others blamed a bad time slot (Friday evenings) for its demise.

But actually, STAR TREK was far from dead. Having just enough episodes for syndication, the program has continued for decades in reruns, as well as spawning 5 other TV series, 12 films (including one in theatres now) along with numerous books, games, toys and devoted fans (Trekkies).

Here courtesy of You Tube, is the now iconic opening of the show....

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjL8WXjlGI

In the area of rock music while we were at Vanderbilt, June 3, 1972 marks the high water mark on the charts (#9) for Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen and their hit "HOT ROD LINCOLN."  Take a listen and a look back in this YouTube video....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9QpDvhshOQ

One last historic note from June 3 during our Vanderbilt years, June 3, 1970 marked the first artificial gene being sythesized. Its an answer we all probably got wrong on a quiz when we came to back to school our sophomore year and took a biology class.

Got a special song from the 1969-1973 era that reminds you of your time at Vanderbilt? Let us know by e-mail (pat.nolan@dvl.com) and we will be happy to post it here along with any history or back story about the song/hit record we can find.