Copyright 1993 Billboard Publications, Inc. Billboard February 27, 1993 SECTION: Pg. 25 LENGTH: 840 words BYLINE: Popular Uprisings is prepared by Geoff Mayfield and Brett Atwood with assistance from Roger Fitton. BODY: BY THE BAY: As one would expect, a number of Heatseekers and potential Heatseekers were trotted out to entertain radio programmers at the Feb. 11-13 Gavin Seminar in San Francisco. Among those in action at various bay-area showcases: Virgin's Jellyfish and Shonen Knife, Giant's Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Capricorn's 311, Capitol's School Of Fish, EMI's Wendy Moten, I.R.S. act dada, Island's Starclub, A&M's Dina Carroll and Kitchens Of Distinction, Scotti Bros. act Naked Soul, Continuum's the Rosemary s, Elektra's Ween, and Mesa/Blue Moon's Willie And Lobo. An acoustic session had MCA's Nanci Griffith, Sire's John Wesley Harding, Epic's Martyn Joseph, Polydor's Jules Shear, and Chaos' Wailing Souls join Capitol's Tom Cochrane and A&M's Robbyn Hitchcock, and a Saturday jazz show had RCA/Novus' Vanessa Rubin and Triloka's Jeff Beal join jazz vet Joe Henderson. And, an alternative artist panel at the Gavin meet included comments from members of Bash & Pop, King Missile, Gene Loves Jezebel, and Best Kissers In The World, along with the aforementioned Shonen Kni fe and Jellyfish. IS THIS THE YEAR of the dinosaur? One named Barney is a kid-show star on PBS, and film maker Steven Spielberg is setting us up for the release of his dino-filled "Jurassic Park." Meanwhile, Dinosaur Jr. bypasses Heatseekers with a big debut, at No. 50, on The Billboard 200. CHART DETAILS: No artists graduate from Heatseekers, but it was a strong week for the chart, no doubt bolstered by the strong shopping activity during President's Day weekend (see Between The Bullets, page 87). Units sold on this week's Heatseekers list represents a 12% gain over the previous week . . . Clannad's comeback, fueled by the use of its music in a Volkswagen commercial (Popular Uprisings, Feb. 13), continues to roll. Its "Anam" sees a 35% sales increase (see story, page 14) . . . Curtis Sti gers re-enters Heatseekers. Last week marked the first time in Popular Uprisings' 71-week history that his self-titled debut did not appear on the chart. Consistent sales on this album will likely build a following for his sophomore effort, expected to hit stores in late summer. THE WRIGHT STUFF: Pianist Danny Wright debuted on Billboard's New Age Albums chart last week with "Curtain Call," his 10th album and his third to appear on the New Age list. The success story helped him land a segment on the Feb. 17 edition of CNN's "Sh owbiz Today." Wright's recording career began in 1986, when Bob and Dori Nichols heard his dinner music in a Fort Worth, Texas, restaurant. The couple liked Wright's sound so much, they funded the independently distributed Moulin D'Or label to record him. From the e arly days, when the Nichols stocked Wright's first tape on consignment in Dallas/Fort Worth-area boutiques and gift stores, Wright has quietly developed big-league numbers. Moulin D'Or says Wright's catalog hit the 1-million-unit mark in June of last year. Since then, bolstered by the addition of "Curtain Call" and his seasonal "Just Wright For Christmas," his combined titles have shipped another 750,000 units. ROADWORK: Beggars Banquet/Columbia's Daniel Ash, late of Love & Rockets and Bauhaus, started a North American tour Feb. 17 to support his "Foolish Thing Desire" album. The monthlong swing hits at least 18 cities, including Chicago, San Francisco, Los An geles, Atlanta, and New York . . . Queen guitarist Brian May has begun his solo career. His "Back To The Light" debuted last week on The Billboard 200 and Heatseekers, and he'll pump that in the opening slot on the next Guns N' Roses tour, which begins Tuesday (23). So far, 23 North American dates have been set. The farflung itinerary includes stops in the South, New England, the Midwest, the Northwest, and five Canadian cities. REGIONAL HEATSEEKERS #1's MOUNTAIN Gin Blossoms, New Miserable Experience EAST NORTH CENTRAL Jackyl, Jackyl WEST NORTH CENTRAL Jackyl, Jackyl PACIFIC Jellyfish, Spilt Milk NORTHEAST Belly, Star MIDDLE ATLANTIC Denis Leary, No Cure For Cancer SOUTH ATLANTIC Duice, Dazzey Duks SOUTH CENTRAL Confederate Railroad, Confederate Railroad THE REGIONAL ROUNDUP Rotating top-10 lists of best-selling titles by new & developing artists. PACIFIC 1. Jellyfish, Split Milk 2. Denis Leary, No Cure For Cancer 3. Screaming Trees, Sweet Oblivion 4. Belly, Star 5. dada, Puzzle 6. A Lighter Shade of Brown, Hip Hop Locos 7. Jackyl, Jackyl 8. Gin Blossoms, New Miserable Experience 9. Shawn Colvin, Fat City 10. Duice, Dazzey Duks SOUTH CENTRAL 1. Confederate Railroad, Confederate Railroad 2. Undersground Kingz, Too Hard To Swallow 3. Duice, Dazzey Duks 4. Mark Collie, Mark Collie 5. Bass Outlaws, Illegal Bass 6. Jackyl, Jackyl 7. D. J. Jimi, It's Jimi 8. Denis Leary, No Cure For Cancer 9. McBride & The Ride, Sacred Ground 10. Jayhawks, Hollywood Town Hall GRAPHIC: Picture 1, Where They Are. In 1991, Dinosaur Jr.'s previous album, "Green Mind," debuted at No. 169 on The Billboard 200, but climbed no higher during its six-week chart run. Paced by "Start Choppin," which jumps 15-11 in its seventh week on Mod ern Rock Tracks, the Amherst, Mass. band's new "Where You Been" album roars in at No. 50.; Picture 2, Milking It. Jellyfish's debut stalled at No. 124 on The Billboard 200, but the San Francisco band -- which played the recent Gavin convention -- appears to be on a faster track this time out. "The Ghost At Number One" soars 23-17 in its second week on Modern Rock Tracks. "Spilt Milk" enters the Billboard 200 at No. 164; Picture 3, Blossoming. MCA has high hopes for Impact teen throb Joey Lawrence. The gam e plan is to cash in on the visibility the 16-year-old actor/singer is realizing on the NBC sitcom "Blossom." Lawrence's self-titled debut album just misses the 40-position Heatseekers chart. The Philadelphia native is scheduled to tour in the summer.; Ma p, no caption