Tony Bennett - Stranger In Paradise: The Early Hits 1951-62

Stranger in Paradise: The Early Hits 1951-62 follows Tony Bennett from fresh-faced crooner to American standard-bearer, sixteen A-sides that built one of popular music's great careers.

Bennett was still in his twenties when Because of You turned him into a star, and what followed was a remarkable run of singles that mixed lush orchestration, easy swing and a voice with real warmth. This collection gathers the best of those early A-sides across more than a decade, finishing with the song that would become his signature, and serves as a snapshot of the pre-rock pop era at its most polished. Bennett died in 2023, and these records are a reminder of how it all began.

Rags to Riches brims with brassy confidence, Stranger in Paradise floats on a romantic, exotic melody borrowed from the Broadway stage, and I Left My Heart in San Francisco closes the collection with the song that would define him for the next sixty years.

One voice, and an education in how to sing a melody honestly. Put it on and enjoy the sound of a young singer finding the confidence that would carry him for decades. Sixteen tracks of polished, swinging pop that is easy to return to.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Because Of You
2. Cold, Cold Heart
3. Rags To Riches
4. Stranger In Paradise
5. There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight
6. Cinnamon Sinner
7. Close Your Eyes
8. From The Candy Store To The Chapel On The Hill

Side B

1. The Autumn Waltz
2. Come Next Spring
3. In The Middle Of An Island
4. Ca C'Est L'Amour
5. Young And Warm And Wonderful
6. Firefly
7. Till
8. I Left My Heart In San Francisco