The copper(I) amide 1 and its 1:1 adduct with CuX, (X = Cl, 2a or Br, 2b) trimethylsilylamido, 2-N(SiMe3)C5H3N-6-Me>, the silver(I) amide 3 and the zinc(II) amides 4, 5 and 6, have been prepared from lithium reagents and the appropriate metal halide, and Hmpsa and ZnEt2 (4 and 6).The amides 1-4 have been characterized crystallographically.In 1 the ligands span the two metal centres with Cu-Namido 1.875(4), 1.887(4) Angstroem, Cu-Npyridyl 1.902(4), 1.903(4) Angstroem, N-Cu-N 174.6(2), 173.4(2) deg, and Cu...Cu 2.420(1) Angstroem.Complexes 2a and 2b are isomorphous diethyl etherates; mpsa ligands span three metal centres with each Namido bridging (i) a two-co-ordinate copper, the other co-ordination site being another Namido' Cu-N 1.893(6)-1.927(7) Angstroem, 2a, 1.884(9)-1.919(8) Angstroem, 2b, and (ii) a three-co-ordinate copper bound by the amido centre, Cu-N, 2.100(6)-2.133(6) Angstroem, 2a, 2.100(8)-2.152(9) Angstroem, 2b, a pyridyl N-centre, 1.993(7)-2.006(7) Angstroem, 2a, 1.983(9)-2.013(8) Angstroem, 2b, and a halide, Cu-X 2.270(3)-2.303(3) Angstroem, 2a, 2.409(3)-2.410(2) Angstroem, 2b.Complex 3 is a hexane solvate; mpsa ligands link four silver atoms in a plane; two silver atoms lie on a C2 axis and are two-co-ordinate, bound by pairs of Npyridyl groups; Ag-N, 2.140(3), 2.169(6) Angstroem with N-Ag-N, 169.3(2), 171.2(2) deg; the other (symmetry-related) pair are two-co-ordinate, bound by pairs of Namido groups; Ag-N, 2.099(3), 2.097(4), with N-Ag-N, 168.6(2) deg.In complex 4 the Namido groups bridge the metal centres with Npyridyl forming chelate rings on the same side of a Zn2N2 plane; Zn-Npyridyl 2.125(2), 2.108(5) Angstroem, Zn-Namido 2.072(5) Angstroem (chelate ring), 2.245(5), 2.225(5) Angstroem, Zn...Zn 2.958(2) Angstroem.Compound 1 forms an adduct with trimethylphosphine, 7.