Tetsu Yamauchi, former bassist of Free and the Faces, has died at 79

(Image credit: Erica Echenberg/Redferns/Getty Images)

Tetsu Yamauchi, the former bass player of Free and the Faces, has died at the age of 79. The news was confirmed via a social media post written by his family.

“To everyone who always supports us,” reads the statement. “On December 4, Reiwa 7 [The year 2025 in the Japanese calendar], Tetsu Yamauchi passed away peacefully, surrounded by family.

“We sincerely thank everyone who enjoyed Tetsu’s music and offered kind words until now. Those were fun times. It’s a long time, but a short time.”

Born Yamauchi Tetsuo in Fukuoka, Japan, on October 21, 1946, the bassist started his professional career with Japanese progressive rockers Micky Curtis & The Samurais and toured Europe – a gig which led him to work as a session musician in both Tokyo and London, eventually befriending Ginger Baker and Alan Merrill.

Kossoff / Kirke / Tetsu / Rabbit – YouTube

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In 1972, Yamauchi joined forces with Free guitarist Paul Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke, alongside renowned keyboard player John “Rabbit” Bundrick, to craft the collaborative studio album, Kossoff Kirke Tetsu Rabbit. He ended up joining Free and participated in their sixth and final studio album, 1973’s acclaimed Heartbreaker, in place of Andy Fraser.

A year later, Yamauchi would replace Ronnie Lane as the Faces’ bassist. However, according to keyboardist Ian McLagan, Yamauchi’s recruitment was somewhat of a mistake, as he was not the right fit for the band.

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“We made a mistake really with Tetsu,” said McLagan in an interview with Classic Rock. “It wasn’t his fault, but he was a party boy and thought he was in for lots of drinks and a little bit of playing, while we were looking for more creation and a lot less boozing.”

Despite the apparent mismatch, Yamauchi remained a fully contributing member for over two years, appearing on two single releases, the 1974 live album Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners, as well as several tours, till the band disbanded at the end of 1975.

After his time with Faces, Yamauchi recorded a solo album and spent years working as a session musician, before returning to Japan in the late ’70s to continue his career there. He eventually retired from the industry in the late ’90s in favor of a quieter life.

Over the past two years, however, Yamauchi did make his final return to the stage as Meets Duo, alongside drummer Yoshitaka Shimada, who was one of the original members of his Good Times Roll Band.

In a 2011 interview with Alan Merrill – one of the few Americans to reach pop-star status in Japan in the ’70s – he spoke about catching up with Yamauchi a year earlier – offering a rare insight into the bassist’s life since his years in the spotlight.

“When we got together last November, we sang Free’s Travelling In Style together, with Tetsu singing the high harmony, and he was spot on,” he recalled.

“He co-wrote that song, and it’s been covered a lot. We sounded great together, and it was just like old times. In London, we used to jam together at his flat for hours in the mid-’70s.

“In order to understand Tetsu, I’m afraid you’d have to have been born Japanese, or at least lived there for many years as I did. He really is only interested in things spiritual, and has no interest in stardom or the big stages.”

Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.