POP/ROCK - Feb. 23, 1996

Soul Train Nominees: Quadruple Grammy nominees TLC also garnered four Soul Train nominations Thursday, leading the pack with nods including song of the year for “Waterfalls.” Other song of the year nominees include Method Man and Mary J. Blige (for the duet “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By”), Whitney Houston (“Exhale [Shoop, Shoop]”) and the Notorious B.I.G. (“One More Chance”). Nominees for best rap album are 2Pac’s “Me Against the World,” Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s “E. 1999 Eternal,” Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” and Method Man’s “Tical.” The 10th annual Soul Train Music Awards--to be co-hosted by Anita Baker, LL Cool J and Brandy--will air March 29 on KTLA-TV Channel 5.

Michael’s Castle?: Michael Jackson is interested in buying a $5-million French chateau that bears a striking resemblance to Sleeping Beauty’s castle, which he loves to visit at Disney theme parks, Europe 1 radio reported Thursday. The 15th century Chateau de Chabennet, about 120 miles south of Paris, has 82 rooms, seven towers and a moat. Jackson’s Los Angeles-based publicist Lee Solters said Thursday that he wasn’t aware of the King of Pop’s reported interest in the French property.