BREIGHTMET singer Badly Drawn Boy's acclaimed debut album has had to be repressed in America because of a copyright wrangle over one of the tracks.

Magic In The Air was written as a tribute to long-forgotten Taja Sevelle's 1988 hit Love Is Contagious and borrows just 16 words from the original.

Mercury Music Award-winning Badly Drawn Boy, real name Damon Gough, has had to substitute a new version after American record company executives demanded all royalties from it.

The change is unlikely to ruffle the former Thornleigh Salesian College pupil -- his debut album, Day of the Bewilderbeast, has already sold more than 100,000 copies in Britain.

A spokesman for his record company said: "Taja Sevelle's publishing company wanted 100 per cent copyright royalties for the song.

"Damon didn't want to challenge them because he didn't want a long fight. The song was meant as a tribute to the song because he is a fan."