GUNGA DAVE

David Alan Stensen 'Gunga Dave' started playing bass and guitar in a small town south of San Francisco in the early 60's. In the summer if '65' his band, The Bedouins, became friends with the Beau Brummels when the Bedouins would hang outside clubs the BB's played in. It was that connection that lead the group to sign with Dunhill records and change their name to the Grass Roots. While with the Grass Roots David performed on TV and in concert with other Dunhill artists such as the Mamma's and Papa's, Berry Mc Guire and PF Sloan. In 1965-67 the Grass Roots performed regularly in San Francisco at the Fillmore Auditorium and the Avalon Ballroom and in Los Angles at the Whiskey-a-Go-Go and Trip. David and the "Roots" also taped or performed live on TV shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show, Shindig and Where The Action Is. 

In 1967 David and guitarist Denny Ellis left the Grass Roots and along with Bill Paine, Clark Coolidge, JP Pickens and Tina Meltzer released an album with San Francisco beat poet David Meltzer. The Serpent Power Album is one of the lost gems of the SF Summer of Love. Rolling Stone magazine voted the Serpent Power album one of the 40 essential albums of 1967. 

In 1971 David moved to Hood River, Oregon formed a band with high school bassist friend Jon Johnson. Foothill Diesel was off and running in the NW music scene later adding steel guitarist Dave Grafe, guitarist Butch Esterbrook and Jon's brother Bobby. 

David spent most of the 70's and 80's playing in the Portland area clubs with groups such as The Heavy Metal Thunder Band, The Street Corner Band, Streamliner and back with the Diesel. A few of David's haunts were the Rock Creek Tavern, the White Eagle, Euphoria, The Earth, the Last Hurrah, Sacks, Zaks and the other side of the tracks bla, bla, bla. 

In the 90's to present David has picked up gigs with the likes of soul singer Ural Thomas, keyboardist Bonnie Lee Bluestone, guitarist Jesse Samsel, rock-a-billy artist Lonesome Rags, The Working Stiffs with Jim Wilcox and the wedgies ( Gunga, Clark & Fred) along with fronting his own band The Gunga Dave Band.  

David's main performing outlet is THE PLAN B BAND with old friends Bonnie Lee Bluestone, Ray Davis and Jamie Eoff. You can find them in local Portland Oregon dive bars.

During the first few months of 2022 David, with friend guitarist/producer Clark Salisbury and drummer Fred Ingram compiled an album of 15 songs released on Gunga's 75th birthday. The High Time CD Is available on various media outlets including  SoundCloud under the name David Alan Stensen