Tetsu Yamauchi

21 October 1946 - 4 December 2025

I was dismayed over the weekend to learn that former Free and Faces bassist Tetsu Yamauchi has died. He was 79. He played a vital part in the forming of 'Kossoff Kirke Tetsu Rabbit', and was a solid foundation in the final days of Free, and on the 'Heartbreaker' album. He then went on to fill the gap left by Ronnie Lane when he quit (The) Faces. He filled two sets of very big boots. Andy Fraser, and then Ronnie Lane, fitting into both units perfectly.

Tetsu retired from the 'music business lifestyle' in the 1990s. We were very lucky that he agreed to be interviewed for 'Heavy Load', as he generally avoided speaking to the music press, and never had any interest in the reunions by (The) Faces. He moved to the Japanese countryside, and lived quietly, without a computer, or email, and played Jazz with friends, which he enjoyed.  A very sad loss.

FAS Magazine #181 Audio Addendum

 Addendum #1

(FAS #181 - Page 6)

'Little Bit Of Love' Alternative Mix

Available only on the 'Completely Free' compilation LP

Free Appreciation Society Magazine - Issue #181

 

Free Appreciation Society Magazine

Issue #181

December 2025

 

And so to the penultimate issue of the FAS magazine, and there's still a lot to cover. This time it's the more interesting compilations that have been released over the years following 'The Free Story'. That includes 'Free & Easy, Rough & Ready', and 'Completely Free' for the UK, 'Best Of Free' on A&M Records in the USA, and 'Pop Chronik' in Germany rounding up the vinyl, before we look at the better CD collections, avoiding the trash you don't need to even consider. So the CD section includes 'Molten Gold: The Anthology', 'An Introduction To Free', the 'Songs Of Yesterday' boxed set, along with a few others.

You'll find surprises here on vinyl from Yugoslavia, Japan and Singapore, with alternative covers, and track listings! Also the  period press, reviews, adverts, and all the release information you'll need. This takes us up to 2012, and the announcement of the unreleased 'big box'. More on that in #182

There is a diary section here, which completes all the information I have regards the Basing Street Studios for Free, Sharks, Paul Kossoff, Andy Fraser, Rabbit and Bad Company. This includes recording information, dates, and what was recorded when. This fills in a number of gaps including the Fraser/Miller sessions, and the unreleased third Sharks album recordings with John Entwistle, that are NOT lost, as is often reported.

There's also an audio addendum on P6 that you'll find up here on the blog a couple of days after the UK issues are mailed, which was today.

Plenty of information to keep you busy over Christmas in a 48 page magazine. All issues are now in the post and on their way to subscribers.

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It is cheaper to buy directly here (from the FAS itself) than it will be on Ebay, where there are other fees involved for both UK and overseas buyers. ALL payments are via Paypal, so it's all very easy and secure. Casual buyer? Want the magazine cheaper? Get a subscription! A subscription is the cheapest way to get the FAS magazine. For subscription information email: fasarticle@aol.com

You can buy this individual issue from the email address above. Total is £7.50 via Paypal for the UK, a three issue subscription is £19.10

Overseas it's £26 (via Paypal). Buying from the FAS directly should save you on customs charges, and fees, now levelled directly via Ebay, which will not be added here as items will be sent as 'letters'.

Drop me a mail giving your location and a Paypal money request will be sent to you. It's cheaper than buying them on Ebay where the fees add up making this issue almost £8 in the UK, and way more overseas as they now add taxes to the total. So;

UK single issue £7.50 (Paypal)

Overseas single issue £9.80 (Paypal)

A subscription for three issues (UK) is £18

(£19.10 via Paypal)

 

A subscription for three issues overseas is £26

(Payment via Paypal only).

I should point out that a three issue subscription will allow you to get any three issues currently, assuming I have them in 'stock'.  So #180, #181 and #182, or #179, #180. #181 etc.

Next Issue #181

I've just collected FAS #181 from the printers, so I'll be packing this up over the weekend, and then getting the 'Far Far Away' issues out early next week, followed by the 'Far Away', and then the 'Not So Far Away'. Funnily enough some of the issues for Europe are now actually in the post for less time than the UK issues. So where those located in this country can take up to five days to arrive, I can get them to places in Germany and France in three! Yeh! Go Royal Mail!! Anyway, you should all have this by the end of November. The following, and final, FAS issue, will come out in March 2026.

Thanks for all the emails about the 'Rock 'N Roll Hall of Meh'. You can find it on 'YouTube' if you really need to be 'disappointed' (polite). I have seen it, and won't be giving it much (ANY) time after this couple of paragraphs. Simon looked great, and played really well. What a drummer. What a star. Paul decided not to sing, and I don't blame him for that. His health is WAY more important than this rubbish. 

 

As for some of the others. Performances were not great. Why a bunch of BRITISH players couldn't be found to play the show, I don't know. It was  BRITISH group. Nor do I know why Joe Perry couldn't be arsed to play the 'Can't Get Enough' solo with Anne Wilson properly. It's pretty rudimentary stuff. What it did show was how neither Brian Adams or Chris Robinson have the depth of tone, or warm resonance, that Paul Rodgers had/has as a singer. The vocals sounded weak and thin, Robinson well out of his depth (and key). Oh well. Personally I think the whole thing is a farce, and I'd like to think that if I was in a position to be 'inducted' I'd tell them to go .... themselves. It's an industry insider money making exercise, why do you need those 'committee' nobodies to slap your back? Some of these people would go to the opening of a paper bag! But that's just me! Or is it? (click the link below).

Why NO ONE Respects The Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame!

The Free Story Competition Winners

 

Okay, many thanks to Simon Kirke for picking the winners out of the 'hat', and Phil Rice wins the Australian 2CD set, while Ged Wigglesworth secures the German 2LP version of 'The Free Story'. Congratulations to them. I'll get these into the post on Monday or Tuesday for you.

 

The answer to the question;

Which country announced a 75,000 'limited' and numbered edition of 'The Free Story' ?

 

It was Canada, and it was mentioned in FAS #180 at least three times, including in the Canadian press release!

Bad Company Tribute Album.

WHO REALLY NEEDS THIS?

 

There are some things that happen that really make very little sense to me. The idea that I might want an album of cover versions by any particular artist or group is one of them. I can understand why someone might want to cover a song on their album, like Five Finger Death Punch covered 'Bad Company' a few years ago (2009), and they played it 'live' too. It's on YouTube. That's just one example, there are many others, but a whole album of Bad Company covers?

Really?

 

I've no clue whose idea this was, or what Bad Company fan would actually want this, when they can play the original songs. It is true that sometimes a cover can in fact be better liked than the original version. I love Johnny Cash covering Nine Inch Nail's 'Hurt'. It's a great example, I like the NIN version too, but the Cash one is amazing. A real step up. That's not the case here. The covers here are of passing interest (to me), and once heard, do I really need to repeat play them? No.

 

I actually did think about this, and do I have an album of songs from any one original group as covers, and the answer was no, not when they are basically just straight rips of the originals, simply performed by someone else, who for the most part I've not heard of, or don't really care that much about. Okay some of these have a 'slight' twist, but no one here has really 'made it their own'. It's not like Brown Sabbath doing the Black Sabbath covers, or Sam Yahel's 'Jazz Side Of The Moon', which offer pretty radically different interpretation of the songs. So, I hope this does well, and whoever buys it likes it, but it's not for me - and what on earth is 'All Right Now' doing on here?? Maybe this will bring some new fans to Bad Company from the camps of the other artists, okay, I get that, but personally I don't need this at all. 

 

And as for the so called 'Rock 'n Roll Hall Of Fame', let's not even go there. I hope Paul and Simon have a really great time (Bad Company do their 'RRHOF' thing next week, and it'll be on YouTube soon I'm sure), but some of the stuff already 'inducted' is just slop. So again, it's just not for me, but I understand why some people like the idea.

Then even more weirdly here, all of the songs are up 'for your pleasure' on Youtube. So to hear them you don't have to buy the album! A good thing I think. So I'd suggest you save your money, and invest your curiosity with the links below, for free. 

 

Links for the named song SHOULD take you to that individual song. How long they will be active for I can't say, but right now all the links work. Enjoy?

 

"READY FOR LOVE" – HARDY 

 

"SHOOTING STAR" – Halestorm (feat. Paul Rodgers) 

 

"FEEL LIKE MAKIN' LOVE" – Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators

 

"RUN WITH THE PACK" – Blackberry Smoke (feat. Paul Rodgers & Brann Dailor)

 

"ROCK 'N' ROLL FANTASY" – The Struts 

 

"BAD COMPANY" – Charley Crockett 

 

"ROCK STEADY" – Dirty Honey

 

"BURNIN' SKY" – Black Stone Cherry 

 

"SEAGULL" – Joe Elliott and Phil Collen of Def Leppard (feat. Paul Rodgers & Simon Kirke)

 

"ALL RIGHT NOW" – The Pretty Reckless

WIN 'The Free Story' on vinyl or double CD.

Okay, only a week left to go if you want to enter the competition that was set inside issue #180. This is open to all subscribers, and the draw will take place next Friday (31st Oct) with prizes being mailed to the winners on the following Monday (3rd November).

 

First out of the hat gets the choice of either the German 2LP vinyl 'Free Story' set, that includes the Toby version of 'Travelling Man', or the 2CD Australian issue of the compilation (including the 'live' version of 'Heartbreaker' recorded at Portsmouth Guildhall in 1971). 

Winners will be notified, and also congratulated here after the draw has taken place. 

Good luck.