After Dunhill was acquired by ABC Records, Barri stayed on in the 1970s as head of Artists & Repertoire (A&R) where he focused on signing and producing new artists, such as bubblegum pop group, Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods. 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)". He also worked on several critically acclaimed albums by leading blues and soul singer Bobby Bland.[1]
After ABC Records reorganized (in which they dissolved their subsidiary labels and moved all artists to the main ABC Records label) in 1975, Barri departed to become A&R chief at Warner Bros. Records. While there, he co-produced John Sebastian's 1976 album Welcome Back and produced Alan O'Day's 1977 number one single "Undercover Angel". Barri also produced O'Day's follow-up single "Skinny Girls", which went to number one in Australia. 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. He also re-worked the company's rich back-catalog, introducing the "Greatest Hits" series, before leaving in 1986.[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. In 1998, Barri joined Gold Circle Entertainment/Samson Records as a producer and was promoted to senior vice president in 2001.[1]