At all the Australian premieres Baz Luhrmann noted that 'EPiC' - Elvis Presley in Concert' would never have been made without the work of his Editor Jonathon Redmond and "Elvis expert" Ernst Jorgensen. EIN is certain that 'EPiC' - Elvis Presley in Concert' will be the documentary that future generations will watch to discover more about this mythical figure from the 1950s that changed the course of pop culture.   Ernst Jorgensen is credited as 'Music Consultant' for the new Baz Luhrmann film and EIN was certain that he must have been involved throughout the whole process since he was also credited in Luhrmann's ELVIS biopic. Ernst Jorgensen kindly agreed to answer a few questions for us. EIN's Piers Beagley asked the questions..

Ernst Jorgensen is credited as 'Music Consultant' for the new Baz Luhrmann film and EIN was certain that he must have been involved throughout the whole process since he was also credited in Luhrmann's ELVIS biopic. Ernst Jorgensen kindly agreed to answer a few questions for us.   EIN: Thanks so much to agreeing to answer a few questions about the fabulous new Baz Luhrmann film ‘EPiC’ and perhaps telling your side of the story..

EIN: When did you first meet Baz Luhrmann and how much did you had to do with the music of the original Austin Butler bio-pic?

Ernst Jorgensen: I met Baz in February 2018. I was a consultant at the manuscript phase of that movie. Definitely not an important person.

EIN: Luhrmann personally thanked you at every ‘EPiC’ premiere here in Australia - so when did you first suggest to him that he needed to check all the unseen material in the MGM vaults?

Ernst J: I don’t recall exactly -sometime in the spring of 2018 I think.

EIN:  Your credit is as “Music Consultant” but I suspect you did much, much more. Several other people are also credited for the music side of ‘EPiC’ such as Jamieson Shaw, Kim Green, Bryan Patrick and I am sure Editor Jonathon Redmond was also involved. Who did you work with most, over what length of time and how did the collaboration work?

Ernst J: I worked only with Jonathan Redmond, finding material at Sony and material that had gone lost.

EIN: There are a lot of obscure “funky bass-lines” sprinkled throughout the movie, such as ‘Change of Habit’, ‘I’ve Got Confidence’ or even Harum Scarum’s ‘Animal Instinct’. Did you suggest all of these for the film or did someone ask you for your favourite bass-lines?

Ernst J: I had nothing to do with new music

EIN: The list of Elvis songs at the end of the film is incredible – it must be around fifty tracks. Surely it is easier to get someone to play a 30 second bass-line similar to ‘Animal Instinct’ rather than get clearance for use of the original song and pay royalties. Who decided that small samples of every original Elvis song would be used?

Ernst J: Baz and Jonathan.

EIN: Viva Las Vegas’s ‘Night Life’ and ‘Wearin’ That Loved On Look’ are again fairly obscure Elvis tracks brilliantly used in the film. Who suggested these as a “mash-up” and also the use of fragments of ‘Let Yourself Go’ and ‘I John’? 

Ernst J: I don’t know

EIN:  You were majorly involved with 2000 TTWII Special Edition in fact it was your idea in the first place. I believe that you and (director) Rick Schmidlin went down to the MGM vaults at that time to check out the unseen negatives but Schmidlin noted that there wasn't as much material stating “3 to 4 hours of usable raw material”. He also said he couldn't use ‘Oh Happy Day’ because half of it was out of focus. So did you and Baz discover more new material this time or was he able to clean up the footage more this time around?

Ernst J: We actually didn’t go the vault. Tapes were brought in – probably not all and I don’t think the material was properly catalogued. I couldn’t get close to the tapes, but had full access to the paperwork.

EIN:  Did you personally look at every reel – 60 hours – of newly digitised footage? The footage from upstairs in Elvis’ suite chatting with his guys was a real surprise to most fans. 

Ernst J: No, I got to see the pieces when Jonathan had done the (rough) edit. Remember that a lot of it was filmed with 5 cameras, and then Jonathan would cut it. Some of the material was only one and two cameras.

EIN: How much of the footage had you genuinely never seen before?

Ernst J: I don’t remember all that I saw in 2000, but several hours for sure. 

EIN: How many times have you seen the film in the cinema – and what did you think of it in IMAX?

Ernst J: Three times – twice in Imax. The Imax show in London was mind-blowing.

EIN: In interviews Baz has often told the story of “dodgy deals in dark alleyways” getting long-lost material. In one interview he even specified that it was in Chicago making a deal for some lost sound footage. He said that he personally didn’t do these, so is he referring to your previous work in tracking down lost RCA reels or was there are some real “dodgy deals” made this time purely for the EPiC movie?

Ernst J: You would have to ask Baz. But I did have to find some of the audio but not in “dodgy places”. 
 
EIN: An the original 2 1/2 hour cut of ‘EPiC’ has been mentioned and that it had to be cut down to a 90 min film to help get the required distribution deal. I imagine Baz, Jonathan Redmond and you in a room debating which song stays in and which section gets cut out. Was there a “white board” where you all listed your favourite parts and how on earth did you all decide what should be in the final edit?

Ernst J: We never sat in one room with all three of us. We just had a site where we could all look at the daily work (Jonathan’s edits). We all had to kill "our darlings". So we have a room in L.A. full of personal dead darlings!

EIN: Do you know if the 2 1/2 hour “Director’s cut” of EPiC will ever be released on BluRay?

Ernst J: There is no 2 ½ hour version as songs got dropped and new ones included during the final stages of editing the film.

EIN: Several of Elvis songs have the second verse cut out, or trimmed to some extent. Was this a Baz decision to keep up the pace of the movie or purely edits to get the movie down to 90 minutes run time?

Ernst J: Pace was key. To keep it exiting. For regular people I think it works. I know fans want everything.

EIN: In the TTWII Special Edition movie ‘Suspicious Minds’ is basically the one August 11 Dinner Show performance with a few added cutaways. In ‘EPiC’ I counted at least four performances used in the edit, Opening Night, August 11 D/S, Aug 12 D/S and Aug 12 M/S, who on earth chose each small segment to create the final cut?

Ernst J: Mostly Jonathan

EIN: By digitising all the newly found material – and I presume he had to pay for that - does that mean that Baz Luhrmann now owns the copyright on the material or is it still owned by the Warners / MGM group?

Ernst J: Ownership has not changed.

EIN: There is some incredible new material from ‘Elvis On Tour’ and the quality is absolutely stunning. Luhrmann says he has the complete Hampton Roads concert. Have you seen it and do you know if there is a chance it might be released in the future?

Ernst J: Yes we have it. I believe both Baz and Jonathan are keen on this, but somebody of course has to put up the money and distribute the film.
 
EIN: Cutting up the soliloquies from ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ and ‘I’m Yours’ to create a new emotional message is pure genius – as well as clever use of DES software to remove that ‘I’m Yours’ skating-rink organ. Did Baz ask you to list Elvis soliloquies he might be able to use?

Ernst J: That was not me, I don’t know where it came from. You need to ask Jonathan. He is the key figure in all these details

EIN: We will always have Elvis’ originals but what do you think of the new ‘mash-ups’ such as ‘A Change of Reality/ Do You Miss Me’ or PNAU’s ‘Don’t fly Away’?

Ernst J: Ha! Love the first one.

EIN: One of my favourite reviews of ‘EPiC’ was from 'National Public Radio' where the reviewer says "Before the movie I've never cared a lick about Elvis Presley, never had an inkling to listen to his music, never seen any of his films, never been interested in researching his life or work.  For this millennial, Presley was a fossilized, mummified relic from prehistory"... "but by the end of 'EPiC's rollicking, exhilarating 90 minutes, I turned to my wife and said, "I think I'm in love with Elvis Presley". I didn't miss Elvis before I saw 'EPiC' — but after seeing the film twice now, I truly do." 

The film really seems to have had a major impression on almost anyone who has seen it, even if they weren’t an Elvis fan. Why do you think ‘EPiC’ resonates so much in 2026?

Ernst J: All credit to Jonathan and Baz, and Baz’ enormous promotion pull. The man works incredibly hard. The movie is brilliant and from the first reviews from Toronto, critics have loved it and the world didn’t expect them to, and now people get curious. 

The respect for Elvis as a musician and as a person will change with this, but most people will not go and see the film, so the real effect will be after it’s been streaming for a year. Then I hope it will be massive. 
We are also fighting prejudice – mainly my generation and the one after. Hard to overcome.

EIN: I have to ask one FTD question or fans will kill me! Following on from your “complete sessions” box sets can we expect a ‘Frankie and Johnny’ sessions to come out soon – and there’s a lot of unreleased ‘Spinout’ material fans would like to see in the future?

Ernst J: ‘Frankie and Johnny’ is not next, but we will do it. We hope to do everything that is relevant. Like the “Charro” box set. Sorry!!

EIN: The sales success of the ‘EPiC’ soundtrack CD is impressive already. I think it will be Elvis’ highest charting release in a fair while. So thank you for your hard work and involvement and how good is it to see new Elvis material again on the big screen.  

Ernst J: Sorry for the boring answers. This film is the brilliant work of Jonathan Redmond and Baz Luhrmann. 
I’m not that important, but it was a wonderful trip.

See EIN's 'EPiC' Spotlight' - for "Everything 'EPiC' News, reviews" and many more stunning images

Interview by Piers Beagley. -Copyright EIN March 2026 DO NOT COPY  EIN Website content © Copyright the Elvis Information Network.  Click here to comment on this Interview

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'EPiC' - Elvis Presley in Concert' EIN Review: Baz Luhrmann's 'EPiC' - Elvis Presley in Concert' opens in cinemas worldwide this weekend. It has already received rave reviews in the general media and now EIN has a deeper look.  Director Baz Luhrmann explained.."'EPiC' is not specifically a documentary, nor a concert film: Elvis takes the audience through the journey of his life, weaving never-before-seen footage with iconic performances that have never been presented in this way, from the 1970 Vegas show, on tour in 1972 and even precious moments of the 1957 “gold jacket” performance in Hawaii.  Most importantly, Elvis will sing and tell you about his life in first person, through both classic and contemporary musical prisms.” Directed by Baz Luhrmann and edited by Jonathan Redmond, the documentary is 96 minutes of stunning insight into Elvis the artist, caring friend and creative genius from small-town Mississippi.  Watching 'EPiC' on big screen is one of those deeply satisfying tactile experiences that can truly only be felt in your body. A great meal. A satisfying run. Swimming in warm ocean. Crisp mountain air. Playing with your puppy. Having a good buzz... EIN's Piers Beagley and Vince Alex explain the wonder and excitement of the best Elvis documentary ever produced... Note that this in-depth review deliberately avoids any major spoilers. (MovieReview, Source;ElvisInformation Network)

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EIN Spotlight 'EPiC' 'Elvis Presley In Concert': On 30 May 2025 'ELVIS' director Baz Luhrmann revealed the name of his new documentary 'EPiC' 'Elvis Presley In Concert' "see and hear him tell his story like never before" but EIN was following the story of its development from way back in 2023. In fact we have been following Baz Luhrmann's cinematic work on Elvis since May 2014, over a decade ago! In our special 'EPiC' Spotlight we look at all the news stories and reviews, trailers, publicity, release dates, promotions, stunning new images and so much more..  “Elvis Presley like never before. Featuring long-lost footage discovered by Academy Award-nominated Baz Luhrmann, 'EPiC' 'Elvis Presley In Concert' is a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience.” Go here to EIN's 'EPiC' 'Elvis Presley In Concert' spotlight (Spotlight, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)

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Ernst Jorgensen interview about 'The Complete Masters' and more: Recently radio personality Mike Ragogna from KRUU-FM got a chance to interview Ernst Jorgensen in length about the new 'Elvis Presley Complete Studio Masters' box-set. Ernst provides some interesting answers as well as his own view on Elvis' musical legacy. "Elvis lives in the minds of those musicians who took over from him. You get people like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and U2 --everybody somehow relates to those early Elvis recordings, and they meant something in their personal lives, and subsequently, he became an inspiration for their professional lives." Go here for the full interview & Complete Masters images. (News, Source;HuffingtonPost/EIN)

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Ernst Jorgensen interview about 'On Stage' and Elvis' Legacy in 2010: Back in March 2010 the pop culture website Popdose published yet another fascinating in-depth interview with the Ernst Jorgensen the keeper of Elvis' musical legacy. In the interview Ernst discusses the importance of changing people’s general perception of declining "Elvis In Vegas" as well as the influence of Colonel Parker, the new Cirque Du Soleil show and future soundtrack record, the pressure of Elvis playing Vegas, and 'Yoga Is as Yoga Does'! Click here to this fascinating interview by Popdose's Jon Cummings. (Interviews, Source;Popdose)

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Ernst Jørgensen talks with EIN about 'From Elvis In Memphis': Recently EIN ran a 7,000 word review on the 'From Elvis In Memphis' 2009 Sony Legacy release. At last Elvis' powerful, creative musical statement had been given the respect that it was due. This is the Elvis album that should stand on hallowed ground along with the all-time classics of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd etc.. Ernst Jorgensen was the producer of this special release and EIN's Piers Beagley was keen to ask a few questions about the finer details. Ernst also discusses the importance of the Mono versions, as well as the possibility of future Elvis Legacy projects. Have YOU listened to the mono tracks in your car?! Go here to this fascinating interview with Ernst Jørgensen (Interviews; Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)

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Ernst Jorgensen talks about his SUN project, the future of FTD and more - An EIN exclusive interview: Ernst Jorgensen’s long-awaited FTD SUN project is due for release in 2007. Containing hundreds of Elvis photos, many never previously published, interviews and 3 CDs it will be FTD's biggest project ever. However Elvis fans have recently have highlighted the possible clash of content between Ernst’s forthcoming FTD book and Joseph Pirzada’s ‘Memphis Recording Service’ packages released last year. Ernst kindly agreed to talk at length with EIN about how his SUN project is progressing, its contents, the future of FTD, illegal downloads, and much, much more. (Interviews, Source: EIN, February 2007)

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Ernst Jorgensen 'Keeper of the Lastest Flame' - the Ken Sharp interview; Ken Sharp, author of the up-coming FTD book 'Writing For The King', recently interviewed Ernst Jorgensen for 'Record Collector' magazine. In this fascinating interview Ernst talks about his future 'Sun Records' project, the search for unreleased Elvis material, his take on Colonel Parker, Elvis' 60s soundtrack material, the Chips Momon session, preserving Elvis' legacy and more. Ken Sharp kindly gave EIN permission to re-publish his interview. (Interview, Source: Record Collector/Ken Sharp, September 2006)

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'The Harum Scarum Sessions' Box-Set FTD In-Depth Review: 'The Harum Scarum Sessions' is the 14th FTD “complete sessions” release and is noted as the 60th anniversary edition! The Deluxe 3CD set includes a 24-page booklet featuring a look at the movie, Sessions Data, foreign film posters, worldwide premieres plus chart listings and 45 and 33rpm sleeve covers. All the masters and session outtakes are newly mixed and mastered by Sebastian Jeansson and Vic Anesini for superior audio. Includes over 60 previously unreleased outtakes including 30 of 'Shake That Tambourine' (lucky us!), plus new outtakes of 'My Desert Serenade', 'Wisdom Of The Ages', 'Kismet', 'Hey Little Girl', 'Golden Coins', 'Animal Instinct' - plus new backing tracks. The Beatles sang 'Norwegian Wood' - Elvis 'Wisdom Of The Ages'! While Harum Scarum could be the real point that Col Parker started letting Elvis down - for fans that enjoy that crazy middle-eastern vibe Harum Scarum should be great fun. EIN's Piers Beagley checks out this new set to investigate whether collectors need quite so much Harum-Exoticness... (FTD Review, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)

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'The Dark Side Of Colonel Parker' - EIN Spotlight: June 26th 2009 is a special date that commemorates four unique events of the Elvis World. 1. The 100th Birthday of Colonel Parker. 2. The 32nd Anniversary of Elvis' final concert in Indianapolis. 3. The 30th Anniversary of the death of Elvis' father, Vernon Presley. 4. The 30th Anniversary of the revelation to Elvis’ estate that Colonel Parker was still fleecing his client. Although comedian Nipsy Russell stated that "Every entertainer should go to bed at night and pray he finds a Colonel Tom Parker under his bed when he wakes up in the morning" - is that really the truth? It is a fact that after Elvis' death an official investigation found that "both Colonel Parker (and RCA) acted in collusion against Presley's best interests. Colonel Parker was guilty of self-dealing and overreaching and had violated his duty to both Elvis and to the estate." While there is no doubt that Elvis and The Colonel's story is extremely complex, in this in-depth Spotlight EIN takes a look at the darker side of Colonel Tom Parker - and includes plenty of insights from Elvis’ colleagues and friends. . Go here for this fascinating investigation- and also Have Your Say. (Spotlight, Source;EIN)

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Elvis "Non Stop Erotic Cabaret": 45 years ago today Elvis’ performance from the midnight show at the Las Vegas International on August 12, 1970 has been described by his record company as "Probably the best live concert ever recorded by Elvis Presley." This stunning performance has been released by SONY on last year's "That's The Way It Is' Deluxe box-set as well as the June 2000 BMG 'That’s The Way It Is: Special Edition' 3cd set. When he decided to investigate in-depth author George Smith discovered however that this 1970 Midnight performance was not just "the best live concert ever recorded by Elvis Presley"; it is an almost spiritual experience. But, like most great albums and concerts of that nature, it cannot be rushed: one must sit and listen to the show in its entirety. Then, and only then, can the genius of Elvis the performer be fully appreciated. The show takes the form of a metaphorical sexual act with Elvis wooing, loving, and then ravishing his audience before twice taking it to an exhausting musical peak. Looking back at Elvis' stunning performance - do not miss George Smith's great investigation into Elvis' "Non Stop Erotic Cabaret"!. (Spotlight; Source;GeorgeSmith/ElvisInfoNet)

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EIN 'ELVIS" Movie Spotlight: Baz Luhrmann's new biopic 'ELVIS' will finally be released to the cinemas on June 24 2022. It was as far back at May 2014 - eight years ago - that EIN first reported that fellow-Australian Baz Luhrmann had started working on his concept for a stunningly fabulous ELVIS movie. At the time there were plenty of skeptics that didn't believe that this Academy award-winning director of The Great Gatsby, Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Australia and Moulin Rouge could be interested in an ELVIS biopic but we were proved right. In our in-depth spotlight EIN presents all the stories, interviews and drama that have accompanied this brilliant achievement since those early days of 2014.

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