Posts Tagged ‘LA Knockers’
L. A. Knockers
LA Knockers: Marilyn, Jennifer, Yana
June 22, 2010
Miracles of the Internet age!
Yesterday, I searched Google for LA Knockers and found 4 wonderful videos on You Tube, of this amazing dance group, lovingly edited by Marilyn Corwin, the curly hair blond bombshell I fondly remember.
I logged on to Facebook and found her email, I wrote her a message and she CALLED ME!
Not only that, but she put me in touch with LA Knockers creator and choreographer, my old friend Jennifer Stace. She is now living in Baja California, close to the other stunning dancer, Yana Nirvana!
I used to photograph these wonderful girls in all kinds of fantastic attires and dance poses, when I was a photo-journalist living in Hollywood, starting from 1976 until 1984.
I will now edit all these images, select my favorites and post them on this blog.
I hope lots of old and new fans will find this and leave their comments.
Thanks!
Elisa Leonelli, photographer (see About LA Knockers page for more info)
And now enjoy the first LA Knockers video (more to come as you scroll down)
L. A. Knockers first photo session
Yana, Jennifer, Marilyn
June 24, 2010
I first saw the LA Knockers perform live at the Starwood in 1976, and I was – literally – knocked out by their exciting dance energy.
So I immediately asked Jennifer if we could do a photo sessions, because I had just started working as a photo-journalist and I was contributing to the theater section of the Italian magazines TEMPO and ESPRESSO. They wanted me to send photographs and text about visually interesting and risqué performers.
I didn’t even have a studio yet at the time, so a borrowed the space from my photographer friend Ave Pildas, and we did various set-ups for the layout: red tutus against a huge dark grey backdrop, white leotards against white, black costumes on red, also, in an outdoor location by the fire-escape, a cheerleaders theme, with football helmet and pom-pons.
Jennifer, Marilyn, Yana
Jennifer, Marilyn, Yana
Yana, Jennifer, Marilyn
Jennifer, Marilyn and Yana even posed for me in the costumes for their movie CINDERELLA, as the stepmother and stepsisters Marbella and Drucella.
We want to know if you’re checking us out, log on to our blog, so leave a comment with your email and we’ll send you the Cinderella photo!
L. A. Knockers add guitars
Jennifer, Becky, Kimberlee
July 4, 2010
After that first photo session, I became the LA Knockers “official” photographer. That is, when they needed photographs, I would take them in my studio. By then I had rented a storefront space at 6340 Yucca, close to my apartment on Beachwood Drive.
In March 1977, I took black and white head-shots of the 3 dancers: Jennifer, Marilyn and Yana. In November 1977, Jennifer needed a group shot with their guitar players, Arnold Schoonover and Phillip Truescroff, and the new dancers: Becky Jordan and Kimberlee Carlson. Here’s a color slide from that session, which was mostly in B&W.
L. A. Knockers outdoors
Becky, Kimberlee, Jennifer, Marilyn, Patti
July 4, 2010
For this session from June 1979 we decided to use outdoor locations, one was the shiny blue wall of the Pacific Design Center, another the red wall around a doorway, fit backdrops for the colorful leotards of the LA Knockers. The line-up: Becky Jordan, Kimberlee Carlson, Jennifer Stace, Marilyn Corwin, Patti Nelson.
We sent out to various magazines a selection of images from these early photo sessions, with a text where I wrote about the L.A. KNOCKERS
“They are hot, wild, glittery and moving in fast motion.
They dance at the beat of punk disco tunes and strike provocative poses. They are pretty but not girlish. They are strong, assertive, sexually aggressive women.
With their bodies they express the fire of unrestricted female sexuality, a world apart from the coy and slow seductiveness of traditional gogo dancers.
There is something compelling about their performance. It must come from the fierce determination of director choreographer Jennifer, the veteran that taught them how to dance and keeps them under her wing with the love of a big sister.
They perform at the Starwood, Troubador, Comedy Store, Matrix Theater, Playboy Club, in TV and movies.”
Marilyn, Patti, Jennifer. Kimberlee, Becky
LA Knockers studio 1976
LA Knockers 1976. Jennifer Stace, Marilyn Corwin, Yana Nirvana
June 12, 2015
Welcome back, we have some new photos for YOU!
I am scanning a best selection of my color slides for archival purposes, at higher resolution. So I am revisiting my extensive photographic coverage of the LA Knockers, and choosing those images that I feel are worth preserving for posterity in digital format. The original transparencies will also be saved.
Here’s 2 additional poses from that first studio session of 1976.
Watch Jennifer Stace, Marilyn Corwin, and Yana Nirvana kick up their heels and shoot from the hip!
LA Knockers 1976. Jennifer Stace, Marilyn Corwin, Yana Nirvana
Jennifer as a man 1979
Jennifer as john Travolta
Becky and Jennifer
June 18, 2015
In November 1979, we did a major LA Knockers photo session in my studio with the costumes for the Playboy Club show. Jennifer Stace dressed up as a man to play the male role for Kimberlee Carlson and Becky Jordan. She was a Spanish dancer choosing one girl and jilting the other in a dance routine called “Choice.” See it here. She was still wearing that outfit, when Becky had already changed from her flower dress to the red and white polka dot apron of Dorothy in the 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz.” See her holding her (stuffed) dog Toto! Jennifer then changed to the signature white suit that John Travolta wore in the 1977 musical “Saturday Night Fever.” See Jennifer and Becky together in those outfits here.
for B&W images of these dance routines click here.
Kimberlee as Dracula 1979
Kimberly and Kimberlee
Kimberlee as Dracula.
June 19, 2015
Here’s another pose of Kimberlee Carlson as Dracula, biting the neck of Kim Blank.
See the color post about the movie spoofs at the Playboy Club show.
See the page dedicated to Kimberlee with her story.
See more photos of this dance routine in Black & White in this post and one more here.
Bite away!
Playboy Club 1979
Jennifer, Boyd
Kimberlee, Jennifer, Patti, Becky, Boyd
June 20, 2015
I selected 2 different frames portraying Boyd Clopton, who directed the Playboy Club show in 1979, and created the costumes, with Jennifer Stace in black leather, and as John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever,” Kimberlee Carlson as Dracula, Jolli Neal in the gorilla suit, Patti Nelson as Superman, Becky Jordan as Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz”.
See the earlier photos and more info here.
See B&W photos here, and what Jolli Neal looked like under the gorilla suit.
Wizard of Oz 1979
Kimberlee, Becky, Jennifer, Patti
June 21, 2015
Another pose of the dance routine inspired by “The Wizard of Oz” for the Playboy Club show.
Kimberlee Carlson as the Tin Man, Becky Jordan as Dorothy, Jennifer Stace as Scarecrow, Patti Nelson as the Cowardly Lion.
See another color photo here, B&W here
3 new dancers 1979
Debbie, Jolli, Leticia
June 22, 2015
How lovely are these dancers dressed in pink for the routine
“Love Vibrations” at the Playboy Club show.
Their names are Debbie Petersen, Jolli Neal, Leticia Ibarra.
Where are they now?
See another photo on this post, on this promo card,
on a published article
White leotards 1979
Jolli, Patti, Becky, Kim, Kimberlee, Leticia, Jennifer, Debbie
June 24, 2015
This dance routine in white leotards, chains and leggings, created for the 1979 Playboy Club show, is called “Vision Aurora,” a song composed by Michael Cavenaugh, the son of Jennifer Stace.
(standing) Jolli Neal, Patti Nelson, Becky Jordan, Kim Blank, (kneeling) Kimberlee Carlson, Leticia Ibarra, Jennifer Stace, Debbie Petersen.
See another color photo on this post, and a B&W here.
Kimberlee, Jennifer, Becky, Patti
Becky, Kimberlee, Jennifer, Patti
Italian blog
Jennifer, Patti, Becky, Lisa, Eileen, Yana
July 20, 2015
An Italian blog just published the story of my career, with advice for young people on how to make it in another country. I made sure that the LA Knockers were mentioned, with a photo of those wonderful girls, and their names too! I picked the lineup of a November 1980 photo session in my studio. Jennifer Stace as Boxer, Patti Nelson as Military Cadet, Becky Jordan as Cowboy, Lisa Durazo as Sailor, Eileen Molloy as Military Police, Yana Nirvana as Baseball player.
See the earlier post on this blog, and the 2013 post.
See the third chapter of my career, if you read Italian.
For those who don’t, I created a website, Elisa Leonelli-My Career, with English translation.
Black on Red 1980
Patti, Eileen, Yana, Lisa, Becky, Jennifer, Joan
July 21, 2015
As I continue to scan more photos of the LA Knockers for my archives, I chose another pose of this line-up for the song “It ain’t the Meat, it’s the Motion” with Jennifer Stace kneeling next to Joan Wolfsohn, standing Patti Nelson, Eileen Molloy, Yana Nirvana, Lisa Durazo, Becky Jordan. Also from November 1980.
See the earlier post.
At that November 1980 photo session, I also took one roll of 120mm film with my Hasselblad. See below.
Patti, Eileen, Yana, Lisa, Becky, Jennifer, Joan
White and Pink 1980
Becky, Patti, Jennifer, Yana, Eileen, Lisa
July 22, 2015
See those girls “Acting Out” in my studio dressed in white and pink, with gloves and feather boas. Becky Jordan, Patti Nelson, Jennifer Stace, Yana Nirvana, Eileen Molloy, Lisa Durazo.
See earlier post.
And the B&W version, a different pose: Eileen Molloy, Becky Jordan, Yana Nirvana, Jennifer Stace, (kneeling) Lisa Durazo, Becky Jordan.
Eileen, Patti, Yana, Jennifer, Lisa, Becky
Black on Pink
Marilyn, Kimberlee, Becky
July 23, 2015
For this photo session in my studio, August 1982, I put a red gel on the background strobe light to make the white backdrop go slightly pink, contrast the black of the romantic retro costumes, for the dance number “Rapture.” See earlier post
Photo above: Marilyn Corwin, Kimberlee Carlson, Becky Jordan.
Look at the lovely Suzi Lonergan and DeeDee Rescher! See post on DeeDee.
Suzi, Dee Dee
DeeDee
Square format
Lisa, Kimberlee, Dee Dee, Marilyn, Kim, Suzi, Becky.
July 24, 2015
At that same photo session of August 1982, besides using my Nikon 35mm cameras, I also shot a roll of Ektachrome 120mm film, larger square format, with my Hasselblad. So you can see the dancers’ full figures above: Lisa Le Cover (Kessler), Kimberlee Carlson, Dee Dee Rescher, Marilyn Corwin, Kim Blank, Suzi Lonergan, Becky Jordan. And below another pose with the same dancers and costumes, on 35mm, smaller size film, rectangular format. See earlier post. And how these photos were printed on postcards to advertise the LA Knockers performances in Tokyo, Japan.
Kimberlee, Dee Dee, Kim, Lisa, Marilyn, Suzi, Becky.
Let’s Twist Again
Lisa, Suzi, Becky, Kim.
July 25, 2015
Photo session in my studio, August 1982. 1960s mini-skirts for the Twist dance routine: Lisa Le Cover (Kessler), Suzi Lonergan, Becky Jordan, Kim Blank.
Above a 35mm photo, smaller rectangular format, with my Nikon FE2 camera.
Below a 120mm square format photo, shot with my Hasselblad camera. See earlier post
Lisa, Suzi, Becky, Kim
LA Knockers's Blog 