A convenient synthesis of a series of pyrazole, pyridine, pyridinethione, pyridazine, pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine, imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine, and pyrazolo[5,1-c][1, 2, 4]triazine derivatives incorporating a pyrimidine moiety, via the reactions of the versatile, readily accessible 3-oxo-N-(pyrimid-2-yl)butanamide with the appropriate reagents, is described.