Remembering Marc Campbell of the Ravers and the Nails

Marc Campbell — a pioneer of Colorado punk and post-punk whose best-known song was the ’80s classic "88 Lines About 44 Women" — died early December 21 of undisclosed causes at his home in Austin, Texas. He was 73.

Campbell was the singer-guitarist in two Boulder-born bands in the late ’70s, the Ravers and the Nails. The first act was notorious for its raucous live shows and raw, dark-humored songs, not to mention a handful of recordings, including "Goddess of Love" and "Tear It All Down," which appeared on the 2009 compilation of historic Colorado punk Rocky Mountain Low.



The Ravers' most enduring anthem, however, is "Cops Are Punks." Released on seven-inch vinyl in 1977, it's a prime specimen of snotty, snarling ’70s punk. The record was first credited to the Ravers, but it was soon reissued under the name the Nails. Newly rechristened, the group moved from Boulder to New York City with the hopes of tapping into the punk energy of the scene at which the Ramones were the center.

And it worked, though it took several years. Eventually the Nails signed to the major label RCA Records, which released the group's debut album,1984's Mood Swing. The record featured Campbell's most famous composition, "88 Lines About 44 Women." The kinky, synth-spiked story-song became an underground hit, appearing on Billboard's US Hot Dance Club Play chart that year.

The Nails had ground to a halt by the early ’90s, but "88 Lines" became a cult classic and has appeared on various "best of the ’80s" compilations over the years.



Campbell was also a pop-culture critic who began writing record reviews for the Colorado Daily in the ’70s while a member of the Ravers. In later years, he wrote about film for Dangerous Minds. He also opened a vintage record store in Austin called the Sound Gallery.

Before his Dead Kennedys days, future punk icon and Boulder native Jello Biafra was a friend of Campbell's — not to mention a roadie for the Ravers. He was working the night the band opened for the Ramones in 1977 at Ebbets Field, a now-defunct but still legendary Denver venue. "As far as I know," Biafra told Westword in 2013, the Ravers were "Colorado's first punk band and one of the very first anywhere. Suddenly I thought, 'All you people who thought I was a loser in school, now I'm somebody. I'm a roadie for the Ravers!'"

Campbell is survived by his wife, Mirgun Akyavas.