Tetsu Yamauchi, Bassist for Free and The Faces, Dies at 79
Tetsu Yamauchi, who played bass for Free and The Faces, has died. He was 79 years old. The new was shared by his family on X.
“To everyone who always supports us. On December 4th, 1924, Tetsu Yamauchi passed away peacefully surrounded by his family,” they wrote. “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has enjoyed Tetsu’s music and given us kind words.”
Yamauchi hailed from Fukuoka, Japan and got his first musical break in the late 1960s with Mickey Curtis and Samurai. The group toured Europe, where the bassist met several key figures and became a session musician in both London and Tokyo. In 1972, he played on the album Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu and Rabbit with Free guitarist Paul Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke. Free parted ways with bassist Andy Fraser and invited Yamauchi into the fold.
He appeared on their sixth and final studio album, Heartbreaker, and went on tour before the band dissolved. However, Yamauchi went from one legendary Brit Rock band to another. He joined The Faces in 1973 and appeared on the singles “Pool Hall Richard” and “You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything” as well as the live album, Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners.
Check out his excellent bass work with Rod Stewart and The Faces on “It’s All Over Now” from The Midnight Special:
He played with the Faces for two years before they also broke up. He continued his musical path, recording solo albums through the 70s. He returned to Japan and formed a group called Tetsu Yamauchi & the Good Times Roll Band. A 1976 recording of the outfit surfaced as an official release in 2009.
After the 90s, Yamauchi largely withdrew from the music scene. In 2023, he reignited his passion with a duo project with drummer Yoshitaka Shimada.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Tetsu Yamauchi.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
