In Memoriam: Danny McCulloch

Danny McCulloch, who played bass for the second incarnation of The Animals, has passed away from cardiac heart failure. He was 69 years old.

McCulloch was born in West London in 1945 and got his musical start in his teens. His first band was The Avro Boys, who went on to become Tony Craven & The Casuals in the late ’50s. The bassist stuck with the Casuals until 1962, during which time he played with a young Mitch Mitchell.

He went through several bands in the early ’60s before being recruited by Eric Burdon to reform the Animals. The band’s new direction leaned toward psychedelic rock and experimental music, scoring hits with “San Franciscan Nights,” “Monterey,” and “Sky Pilot.” Check out McCulloch laying it down on “A Love Like Yours,” live at the Beat Club in 1967:

McCulloch exited the band in 1968 along with Vic Briggs and promptly released an album, Wings of Man. The bassist also played on Reg King’s solo album in 1971, but left music in the ’80s to work as a psychiatric nurse. He returned in the 1990s to form a new Animals group, record a second solo album, and continue to tour with different variations of the Animals.

Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Danny McCulloch.