'The Elvis Files Magazine' Issue 2 Review - Elvis Information Network

Erik Lorentzen is proud to let fans know that he has just bought about 100 original publicity shots from the September 1956 photo session taken by Hollywood photographer Frank Powolny. These will be printed exclusively in the Elvis Files Magazines, starting with issue 4. Issue 3, March 2013 out soon.

Released last month December 2012, was issue 2 of The Elvis Files Magazine.

As most fans know by now this magazine was created by Erik Lorentzen in order to feature Elvis stories that would not fit into his "Elvis Files" series of books - as well as a place to include all the extra new unpublished Elvis photos that he has recently purchased.

I have seen little about this December magazine publication elsewhere on the Internet and yet I found it another excellent magazine, and for me even more interesting than the first issue.

The real treat here is Lorentzen’s personal story of meeting Elvis and visiting Graceland, as well as lots of exclusive on-stage photos taken during that 1975 tour by the Norwegian fan club.
Previously I was aware of his presentation to Elvis of the Norwegian Gold Record in 1972 but had no idea of this particular story.

The idea of travelling from Europe in the 1970s to the USA (I was a kid living in London back then) without having purchased your Elvis concert tickets and then spontaneously being asked up to look around Graceland (while Elvis was in residence) blows my mind!

A short extract…

We arrived at about 2am and headed straight for Graceland. Even at that crazy hour, there was a big crowd outside the gates. All kinds of people were there including a group from Canada selling liquor and dealers selling bootleg records.

After half-an-hour, a guy on his motorbike came down from the mansion to the gates. I never found out his name but recognised him from our recent stay in Las Vegas where he had told me that he worked for Vernon and Elvis. This person pointed at me and asked to talk. He said that he remembered me from Vegas and asked if I wanted to go up to the house. Well, I guess you all know my answer and within a minute we were driving on the bike up to the backyard. A couple of people were standing there and immediately recognised Sonny West.

I was chatting to my friend with the motorcycle when Elvis, who was dressed in a blue shirt and black pants, came to the door, waved to all of us and went upstairs. I asked Sonny if he could arrange another meeting with Elvis the next day, but he explained that they were leaving in the morning for the new tour. After about twenty minutes, everyone decided to leave and I was taken by motorbike back to my friends at the gate.

16 pages are dedicated to this 1975 tour and with plenty of on-stage candid photos by Norwegian Tore Gustavsen that I have never previously seen.

There are of course plenty of other articles in the magazine....

- Elvis and The Martial Arts – by Master Kang Ree.
Nine pages with some great Karate photos and an interesting story.
Who knew Elvis wore a black Karate GI suit – as used live on stage in August 1969 - as far back as 1959?

Includes great candids of Vernon and Dee along with Elvis and Linda Thompson..

- "The World of Elvis Jumpsuits" – Featuring the unusual Black PasSaRyu Karate jacket from August/ September 1974.

- Elvis and The DIG magazine.
Four great pages of candids from April 1956

- More stories from super-fan Virginia Coons about meeting Elvis and various correspondences between her and The Colonel.

Plus plenty more Rare Candids not featured in previous Elvis Files books.

- 'Behind The Scenes' Flaming Star Candids

- Hawaii April 7 1962.
- Girls, Girls, Girls - (see 'Return To Sender' below)
- Fun In Acapulco
- Two Days of April 1957
- The Women in Elvis’ Movies – GI Blues.
..... with some great alternate shots here!

Please note that all photos in this article are very low-res scans and do not represent the image quality of the book.

Finally we get a rare interview with Elvis - "My Fast Life" - that he gave on the Roustabout film set in June 1964 to the USA weekend magazine....

It features some great Elvis quotes and runs for 6 pages includes some fascinating reading for the mid-sixties ...

Q: You haven't appeared in a live show at all in the past few years. Why are you hiding from the world?

Elvis: I haven't been hiding, There is no deliberate attempt to keep me out of the public eye.
I know people have said the Colonel has some sort of strategy about my exposure to the public. It isn't that at all.
But we do have a programme which calls for three pictures in a year and that is a lot of pictures. It doesn't leave one with much time in between.

Q: You rest up? Even if you realise that your insistence on staying out of the public eye may cost you some of your popularity?

Elvis: I wouldn't say that. But the Colonel says I cannot go to one country without offending people in another country, and I guess he is right. Somebody will always be unhappy.
But it's different with movies. They go everywhere. Yet, don't think I wouldn't love to go to England, for instance, and make a couple of appearances there.
I've been thinking of that for some time, and I'm as close to going as I was a couple of years ago.

Q: You make it all sound so difficult, but is it really? I’m sure the people in Germany, for instance, wouldn’t mind if this year you visit England only.

Elvis: This is not the way the Colonel sees it. And I trust the Colonel.

While I suspect most fans will buy this magazine for the new unpublished candid photos, the magazine does feature some great articles and plenty of reading that I understand wouldn’t rightly fit into Lorentzen’s Elvis Files books.

In large format these magazines fit nicely next to his Elvis Files books and I am sure anyone who buys the book series will be collecting them.

It is worth noting that they also stand alone as great Elvis reading although fans have got to realise they don’t feature the usual CD or book reviews which can be left to the regular Elvis magazines such as excellent "Elvis The Man and His Music" or perhaps this very website!

I showed this magazine to various Elvis fans at the Aloha Hawaii 2013 convention and they were impressed.

If you are an Elvis fan interested in newly uncovered stories about our man as well as unpublished photos then this magaizne is well worth checking out – CLICK HERE for more info and subscription.

The magazine costs 'delivered to your door'
58 Euros for one-year subscription to anywhere in the world,

'The Elvis Files Magazine'

EIN checks out Issue #2

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