Rosalind Ashford helped the group to distinguish themselves from the other girl groups in the label including the pop-oriented Marvelettes and the doo-wop-influenced Supremes with a rougher, brassier gospel-influenced sound. Reeves was a brassy alto while Annette was a deep contralto, and Rosalind was a high soprano. Like the Supremes' Florence Ballard, the Marvelettes' Wanda Rogers and The Four Tops' Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Ashford registered as the high background vocal in Vandellas records. After "Quicksand" gave the group a third top forty pop hit, Beard left to start a family with her new spouse. Reeves recruited a former member of The Velvelettes,
Kathryn Ballard Shut also a member of ASCAP as a composer, author, and music publisher (popular music) (TIMKAT Entertainment), IPIs 6910514154 and 672818809. Recreationally, Ballard Shut is an avid traditional recurve bow archer as a member of both the Colorado State Archery Association (CFAA) and the National Field Archery Association (NFAA), as well as a former member of the Kansas City Swing Dance Club. She is a language enthusiast, a fluent speaker of English and Spanish, and has basic knowledge of Russian, French, Italian, German, and Hebrew. "CoffeeTalk Jazz Magazine" (2015–present) "Contributing Author, Associate Copy Editor " Kathryn Ballard Shut Kathryn Ballard Shut