Mellow Madness would have likely lingered on in obscurity had it not been for Kay-Dee partner DJ Keb Darge, who in 2004 introduced the Fayetteville, NC group’s sole 45 to a new audience. Titled “Save The Youth,” its inspirational message and pounding yet polished disco had fresh appeal on dance floors of the new millennium. “Save The Youth” was a fitting theme from the get go. In the late 1970s, middle school band teacher and jazz musician Mal Sharpe built the group from former students who attended various high schools across the city. Sharpe enlisted fellow educator Frank McNeill as assistant manager and producer and found the perfect vocalist, Fayetteville State University student Mike Walker. A young talent indeed, by 1983, Walker’s perfect tenor graced “I Found Lovin’” by the Fatback Band, the famed NY group’s biggest hit of the decade. By 1980, Mellow Madness had committed six tight, original compositions to tape but released only the one single in hopes of garnering the interest of a major record company. Unfortunately, no deal was ever secured and the group disbanded by the mid-‘80s while their music remained on the shelf. In 2007, with relocation of the tape by Carolinian master sleuth Jason Perlmutter, Kay-Dee Records is proud to breathe fresh life into Mellow Madness, continuing with the subject 12” Kenny Dope Mixes of “Save The Youth.” Stay tuned for a forthcoming LP of the group’s recordings.

Track Listing :
Side A:
1. Save The Youth (K-Dope Extended Mix)
2. Save The Youth (K-Dope Instrumental)
Side B:
1. Save The Youth (K-Dope Beats)