Japanese bassist Tetsu Yamauchi, born Yamauchi Tetsuo in Fukuoka in 1946, has died at 79. His death brings to a close a career that bridged Japanese rock, British blues rock, and the global touring circuit.
Yamauchi first immersed himself in the club and studio scene during the late 1960s, a time when Japanese rock was experiencing rapid evolution. He joined Mickey Curtis’s band Samurai, a group that fused rock with experimental free-jazz energy. Samurai included drummer Sabu Toyozumi, who worked with avant-garde innovators such as Peter Brötzmann, John Zorn, Anthony Braxton, Toshinori Kondo and members of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, with these collaborations shaping the group’s boundary-pushing sound.
Samurai toured through Europe in casinos and rock venues and appeared at a 1970 rock festival in Rome. The band recorded in London at Tangerine Studios in Dalston, with Mike Walker contributing vocals alongside Graham Smith on harmonica and Tony Rockliff engineering the sessions. London provided Yamauchi with a foothold into a growing network of musicians, and his friendships with Ginger Baker and Alan Merrill established key professional connections. This period set the foundation for his extensive session work in Tokyo and London and opened doors to a significant chapter of his career.
In 1972, Yamauchi joined guitarist Paul Kossoff, drummer Simon Kirke and keyboardist John “Rabbit” Bundrick for the album Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu And Rabbit. This collaboration brought him into the orbit of Free as they prepared their final studio album Heartbreaker. He replaced original bassist Andy Fraser and became part of a pivotal moment in Free’s history. Heartbreaker arrived in 1973 as the last studio document of a group that had earlier defined British blues rock with songs such as All Right Now, and Yamauchi’s playing carried the band through their final evolution.
Yamauchi entered Faces in August 1973, stepping into the role vacated by Ronnie Lane. His arrival coincided with a period of transition for Faces, a group that had risen sharply on the strength of albums such as A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse, as well as Rod Stewart’s parallel solo success. Yamauchi contributed to two singles, including You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything, and appears on the 1974 live album Coast To Coast: Overture And Beginners. He played with Faces on large-scale tours through 1973 to 1975, maintaining a full performing schedule until the band’s dissolution.
After Faces broke up, Yamauchi recorded a solo album and continued session work. He later returned to Japan and performed with various bands while pursuing studio projects throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. His catalogue grew to include the solo albums Kikyou, Dare Devil with Peter Brötzmann, Shoji Hano and Haruhiko Gotsu, and Friends with Hiroshi Segawa and Ken Narita. He later issued Tetsu & The Good Times Roll Band Live, recorded in 1976.
Yamauchi retired from music during the late 1990s and moved with his family to the countryside. Friends described him as private, deeply spiritual and committed to a quiet life away from the industry. He avoided media and declined all involvement in Faces-related activities, preferring to leave his past untouched. Unexpectedly, he returned to performing in 2023 with drummer Yoshitaka Shimada. They played shows in Tokyo on 23 October 2023, 29 January 2024 and 6 June 2024, marking a short but notable return to the stage.
Tetsu Yamauchi died on 4 December 2025 at the age of 79. His work remains preserved across landmark recordings with Free and Faces, the adventurous sessions with Samurai, and his catalogue of solo and collaborative projects. His legacy spans continents, genres and decades, reflecting a musician who moved between worlds while leaving behind music that continues to resonate across generations.
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