Simon & Garfunkel
ListenHey Schoolgirl · 1957
Tom & Jerry (Simon & Garfunkel) — “Hey Schoolgirl,” Big Records recording.
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1957 · Big Records
Hey Schoolgirl / Dancin’ Wild
Before Simon & Garfunkel, there were Tom & Jerry: two teenagers who took their harmonies seriously enough to study exactly how each other pronounced the ends of words. Their first hit, “Hey Schoolgirl,” grew from an attempt to remember somebody else’s song. [1]
| Accession | OMMA-0054 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Tom & Jerry (Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel) |
| Release | 1957 · United States |
| Label | Big Records · 613 |
| Format | 7-inch vinyl single · 45 rpm |
| Issue | US issue |
| Runouts | Not documented |
| Recorded grade | VG+ |
Release history and significance
Art Garfunkel recalled that he and Paul Simon had heard an Everly Brothers record during a summer apart. Reunited, they tried to reconstruct it and got it wrong. When they heard the original again, they realized that the tune they had been assembling was their own. They finished it, made a demo and attracted a record-company owner who happened to be in the waiting room. [1]
Big Records issued “Hey Schoolgirl” with “Dancin’ Wild” in 1957. The songwriting names on the A-side are Jerry Landis and Tommy Graph. Garfunkel explained that his pseudonym came from his habit of graphing records’ progress through the charts. [1] [2]
The two sides preserve the close vocal partnership in its teenage rock-and-roll form. Their later fame under their own names makes these early credits especially revealing: the collaboration was already there, even while its public identity was still being invented.
Market context
As a comparison within the original Big Records issue, Discogs lists Indianapolis-pressing sales from US$1.75 to US$145.00, with a median of US$6.98, as recorded on 14 September 2026. [2]
Physical Description
Black-vinyl seven-inch with a large centre hole, accompanied by a picture sleeve. Big Records 613 exists in more than one US pressing; the linked release documents the Indianapolis version. [2]
Condition
The disc and picture sleeve were graded Very Good Plus at acquisition.
Provenance
Acquired through Discogs from seller oldmansvinyl on 21 November 2025.
Sources
- Paul Zollo, Song Talk interview with Art Garfunkel. 1990. Recollections of rehearsals, writing Hey Schoolgirl and the Tom Graph name.
- Discogs, Tom & Jerry — Hey, Schoolgirl / Dancin’ Wild, release 1486099. Release reference and sales statistics consulted 14 September 2026.
Catalogue text reviewed 14 September 2026.