Music Notes: Jackson Not Selling Beatles Tunes

May 10 -- Paul McCartney will have to wait a while to buy back the rights to some of the Beatles' hits.

Michael Jackson, who owns the rights to 250 songs by the Fab Four, says rumors alleging he will sell the collection are false.

The British press has been reporting that the Gloved One is broke and plans to make some quick cash by selling the Beatles songs. Jackson obtained the rights for $47 million in 1985, after outbidding McCartney.

Jackson has issued a statement calling the British reports "silly." He added, "The Beatles' catalog is not for sale and never will be for sale."

R.E.M's Toronto Freebie

Michael Stipe and his R.E.M. bandmates are taking their music to the streets to promote their album Reveal.

They're expected to perform on The Late Show With David Letterman when the album is released May 15. They'll quickly head north and cross the border to promote the recording with a free lunchtime concert in Toronto May 17.

This is their second recording since longtime member Bill Berry left the band. It revisits their last album Upwith the track "The Lifting," which Stipe describes as prequel to the song "Daysleeper."

"It's the same character," Stipe told a recent London press conference. "She is unable to find anything beyond the concrete, so when she dreams at night she floats up and bumps her head on the ceiling. Her desire is to move beyond the concrete, the tangible."

Stevie Scores a Hit

Her album may be called Trouble in Shangri-La, but it's not having any trouble at the cash registers.

Stevie Nicks' new CD debuted in fifth place on the Billboard charts. It's her highest debut since 1983, when she took that same spot with The Wild Heart.

Shangri-La includes guest appearances by her former bandmate Mick Fleetwood, Sheryl Crow and Sarah McLachlan.

Nicks also finds herself on top of the charts as a guest on the Destiny's Child's album Survivor, which debuted at No. 1. The track "Bootylicious" samples Nicks' song "Edge of Seventeen." She has also filmed a spot in the video for the song.