Last updated at 16:53, Monday, 12 November 2012

A RECORD penned by a Barrow songwriter sparked a bidding war when a rare vinyl copy was put up for sale.

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Northern Soul fans may want to check their record collections after You Can’t Mean It, released by six-piece Chapter Five in 1966, sold for £909 on eBay.

The single was the work of 68-year-old Dave McGerty, Chapter Five keyboard player.

Mr McGerty, from Ennerdale Drive, Barrow, said he wrote the lyrics when he was just 14.

“It was just written as a pop song,” Mr McGerty said.

“We originally released it as a B-side in 1966, but the A-side failed. It became very popular with Northern Soul people in the 1970s and it has been re-released on some of the Northern Soul compilation albums.

“The song has been released all over the world, and reached number 38 in the Italian charts.”

The seven-inch vinyl, released by record label CBS, was put on the online auction site by a Northumberland-based music fan.

The auction began on October 30 with a starting price of 99p. By the time the auction ended a week later it had attracted 28 bids, with the price rocketing by around £300 in the last minute of bidding time.

In their heyday the band rubbed shoulders with likes of The Hollies, The Kinks and Manford Man while on tour.

Barrow councillor Dave Roberts, who played saxophone for the band, said: “Looking back I would say being in the band was one of those experiences in life that you never forget.

“We never made it financially but we were successful in other ways, it was a fabulous time.”

Mr McGerty added: “I still have my copy, but I wouldn’t part with it for the world.”

The former rocker is still in the songwriting business, alongside his son Dave junior and daughter Tania McGerty.

The family scored chart success in South Africa this year after penning a track for classical crossover band Sterling EQ, which reached number four in the charts.

First published at 16:52, Monday, 12 November 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk