He subsequently joined Free to participate in their final 1973 studio album Heartbreaker, replacing Andy Fraser.
"[1] According to Rod Stewart, Yamauchi was "a sweet Japanese guy who barely spoke English", and because of this communication barrier, his bandmates often found it difficult to understand how he was feeling.
[2] Despite any misgivings some of his bandmates may have harboured about his compatibility, Yamauchi nevertheless remained a fully-contributing member of Faces for over two years — appearing on two single releases, the 1974 live album Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners and participating in a number of global-scale stadium tours — and his association with the band only came to an end when the group itself dissolved at the end of 1975.
[3][4] In the late 1970s, Yamauchi returned to Japan, continuing to work as a session musician and tour and record with his own bands and with other artists.
Suddenly, in September 2023, Yamauchi, in collaboration with Japanese drummer Yoshitaka Shimada, resumed his stage activities.