I discover it was my old friend MORT SHUMAN and John McFarland... anyone know who he was, what else he wrote and whether he's still around?

After Mort Shuman and Doc Pomus stopped writing together, Shuman collaborated with various other writers, including Kenny Lynch (Manfred mann-Sha la la) and Clive Westlake (Hollies-Here I go again)

Billy J Kramer was deliberately trying to break away from the lennon/McCartney songs and "Little Children" was recorded after he went totally against the advice of Brian Epstein! The decision was made mainly to break them in the USA with a song by established american writers and it worked .

The name of John McFarland as a writer seems only to exist for "Little Children" The name appears as a producer on some prog rock stuff later on but might just be coincidence.

Here`s my Hollies only tale...
I was in a band on the same bill as them, and would not have even recognised them at the time. I found a spare dressing room, and dumped my things in it. Just before going on, I realised my clothing was not in the same room as my bands stuff. So I walked next door to get it, where a band were working out harmonies to a new tune, being very embarrased at the time, whilst searching for my suitcase, I joined in and added the top harmony, a guy I had never met said, "Thats great, you come on at the end and do that bit".
I agreed, and went back to our room, and was told off with the words "Was that you in there singing with the Hollies?..."
Ooops.
Was I embarrased or what?

Is it true that the Hollies (or their management) owned their recordings in the 60s?

As far as I know Dave Clark (of DC Five) was the first british musician to own his records, maybe the Hollies were next.

But you're right about Dave Clark, I think.
I doubt it with The Hollies though.
Standard EMI contract at the time, I suspect, which means EMI owned the masters.

Sad as they made some fantastic recordings, but DC appears to have been one of the best businessmen in the music industry. I wonder how many "Ready Steady Go" appearances he won't let anyone see either!

The Hollies rock there is more than Carrie-Ann Stop, stop, stop. I like Jennifer Eccles, Bus stop and sorry Suzanne.

They done two tribute albums one The Byrds and the other is Bob Dylan

JK, for me you are not "only" a musician, but a producer / label owner. But Dave Clark produced himself, so there is no clear cut between the two types.

In 1967 the Hollies went to Epic in the UK, so maybe they own the masters from this period. (Today everything is own EMI)

I own a legal 2CD-Set "The History Of The Dave Clark Five" (50 Great Songs) on Hollywood Records.

The Hollies were a great pop band and made even some good psychedelic songs. And I like their stuff up to the mid 70s (Sandy, Son Of A Rotten Gambler)

Sorry, I got it wrong in my last post:

In the UK The Hollies were on Parlophone until 1973.

Maybe they controlled the foreign rights to their recordings.

In the US they went from Imperial to Epic (1967).

In Germany their Parlophone records were released by Hansa/Ariola (Bertelsmann).