The Notting Hillbillies were a country rock project formed by British singer-songwriter Mark Knopfler in May 1986. The group consisted of Knopfler, Steve Phillips, Brendan Croker, Guy Fletcher, Paul Franklin, Marcus Cliffe, and Ed Bicknell. They gave their first performance at a small club in Leeds, and followed up with a tour.
The Notting Hillbillies recorded just one album, Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time, released on Vertigo in the UK in 1990, before members returned to concentrate on their primary musical outlets. Three tracks from the album - "Your Own Sweet Way", "Feel Like Going Home" and "Will You Miss Me" - were released as singles; some versions of these included "Lonesome Wind Blues", a track not on the album. The Notting Hillbillies reunited several times for charity gigs. In May 1997 the Hillbillies went on an 11 show tour in the UK.
The Town & Country Club in Leeds on 3 July 1993 only featured the Knopfler-Croker-Philips trio. The set list included the only known live performances of two Dire Straits songs: "Ticket To Heaven" and "How Long".