As both songwriter and producer he frequently collaborated with P. F. Sloan, and the partners were responsible for the success of The Grass Roots and contributed largely to the band's first album.
Barri and Sloan co-wrote and/or co-produced many other hit records in the mid-1960s including "You Baby" by The Turtles, "A Must to Avoid" by Herman's Hermits and "Secret Agent Man" by Johnny Rivers.
He collaborated with songwriters Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter on three albums for the Four Tops, which included the million-selling single "Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got)".
Barri moved in 1982 to Motown Records as vice-president of A&R, producing The Temptations and overseeing big-selling releases by Lionel Richie and Rick James, among others.
[1] Spells followed at Capitol Records (as a consultant), Left Bank Management, where he worked with acts including Richard Marx, Meat Loaf and Stephanie Mills, and at smooth jazz label, JVC.