Code 5 (band)
| Company type | Boy band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Stephan Brunner |
| Defunct | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Switzerland |
Key people | Stephan Brunner (manager) |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Code 5 was a Swiss boy band that experienced moderate recognition in Switzerland, notably with their top-ten single "Love Is Your Game," and gained attention in Canada through their rendition of Carol Medina's "And the Song Goes (Doo Dit)".
1997: Formation and debut single
The creation of Code 5 was overseen by Artist Records manager Stephan Brunner, who chose the members from a pool of 300 applicants following a casting call published in the Blick newspaper. The group was publicly unveiled in March 1997, with their initial release "Love Is Your Game" reaching number 9 on the Swiss singles chart and maintaining that spot for two weeks. Their next single, "Hold Me Now," achieved a peak position of number 42 after a four-week run.
On 27 August 1997, Code 5 served as the opening act for the Backstreet Boys during their concert in Winterthur.
In November, lead vocalist and vocal coach Damian Meier departed to embark on a solo career; he was succeeded by Canadian singer Jason Meloche. Meloche made his first appearance with the band on the single "I'll Be There For You," which climbed to number 27 on the Swiss charts.
1998: Album launch and dissolution
In March 1998, Code 5 traveled to Canada to produce their first album titled Premium. Their fourth single, "And The Song Goes (Doo Dit)," entered the Canadian RPM Weekly Chart at position 97 in May and rose to number 24 by August. Despite receiving tabloid media attention, financial backing was withdrawn due to weak sales and unfavorable press, placing significant monetary pressure on both the label—where Stephan Brunner reportedly invested around 500,000 Swiss francs—and the band itself.
Internal conflicts led to the departure of Meloche and Marasco in October. By the time Premium was officially released, Code 5 had already disbanded. Damian Meier continued his career as a solo performer, while other band members moved on to different pursuits.
Members
- Damian Meier (March 1997–November 1997)
- Jason Meloche (November 1997–October 1998)
- Erkan "EJ" Yaggi (1997–1998)
- Michel Bognar (1997–1998)
- Igor Marasco (1997–1998)
- Bernhard "Beny" Attinger (1997–1998)
Singles
| Year | Single | Highest chart positions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Country data CHETemplate:Namespace detect showall SWI |  CAN
| ||||||||||
| 1997 | "Love Is Your Game" | 9 | — | ||||||||
| "Hold Me Now" | 42 | — | |||||||||
| "I'll Be There For You" | 27 | — | |||||||||
| 1998 | "And The Song Goes (Doo Dit)" | — | 24 | ||||||||
| "—" indicates singles that did not chart or were not released. | |||||||||||
Albums
| Year | Title | Template:Country data CHETemplate:Namespace detect showall SWI |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Premium | — |