Song of Death: Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator (December 26, 1951)

“Song of Death” is an episode of Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator, the old-time radio show, first broadcast December 26, 1951. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Barry Craig rescues a drowning woman named Susan Lane from the river and becomes entangled in her troubles. She claims someone tried to murder her, and the case involves a dispute over the authorship and rights to a popular song called "Sugarloaf Mama" between her employer, publisher Mr. Sampson, and songwriter Mervyn Marlow. When Barry and Susan leave her apartment together, they are held up in a taxi by a gunman who kidnaps Barry, forcing him to piece together the identity of his attacker and call for police assistance.

A city with docks and rivers, music publishing offices, city streets and taxi cabs.

Characters: Barry Craig, confidential investigator, Susan Lane, Father Neptune, Mr. Sampson, music publisher, Mervyn Marlow, songwriter, Lieutenant Rogers

Listen for: The clever banter between Barry and Susan, the details of the song rights dispute, and Barry's deductions about the kidnapper's identity.

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.