Treatment of 2-[(dimethylamino) methylene]-3-oxobutanoates 9 or 10 with LiN (SiMe& in the presence of RCOCl results in C-acylation. The resulting intermediate, without isolation, may be converted to 6-R 3-Carbethoxy-4-pyrones (eg, 12) by HSO+ or to the corresponding pyridinones (eg, 13) by NHIOAc. Typically, yields are 55-75% for R groups lacking acidic a or y protons and ca. 30% for R= Me2CH or MeCH= CH. Replacing 9 with MeCOC (= ...