Lyudi Invalidy

Album information and production

Technically, the production for Люди Инвалиды began in 2004. It was during 2004 when t.A.T.u.'s then-producer Ivan Shapovalov introduced the tracks "Люди инвалиды" (stylized on the rear album cover as "ЛЮДИ ИНВАЛИДЫ"), "Ты согласна", "Ничья", and "Что не хватает" to the girls, and the songs were recorded. For instance, an early version of "Ничья" was played during the Show Me Love Tour. Demos from all four songs were also released to fans, and heard on Поднебесная. After leaving Shapovalov and then taking a hiatus, t.A.T.u. negotiated with Shapovalov and the songwriters and composers to rerecord the songs. The music was changed on all of the songs, and in some the lyrics were altered. When the album was released in 2005, it only credited Shapovalov for the song "Люди инвалиды".

Demos of "Космос", "Вся моя любовь", and "Обезьянка ноль"—as well as an a cappella version of the last—were released prior to the album's premiere; all were sung by Lena only and were recorded in both Moscow and Los Angeles with Sergio Galoyan from mid-2004 to early 2005.

Люди Инвалиды features two songs from the English release, "Loves Me Not" and "All About Us." On this album, "Loves Me Not" has different music than the version on the English album counterpart Dangerous and Moving. This is not a remix—it is the same single featuring a more electronic arrangement for the Russian market versus a more pop arrangement for the international market.

"Обезьянка ноль", supposedly Yulia's favorite tune from the album, was also included on Dangerous and Moving. Two different versions of "Что не хватает" were also issued online on YouTube exclusively.

Singles

In October 2005, "Люди инвалиды" was released as the lead and only single of the album. Along with "Loves Me Not", "All About Us", "Новaя модель", and "Обезьянка ноль", the track was played on Russian radio during 2005, peaking at number 63 on the Russian Airplay Top Hit 100 chart.

Controversy of Люди Инвалиды

The title of the album has caused much confusion and controversy. The words "люди инвалиды" can translate to English as "disabled/handicapped/invalid people", though it is most accurate as invalid people. However, the group on several occasions have stated that the title refers to morally disabled persons, not disability in the physical sense.

t.A.T.u. were sued in November 2006 by Leonid Mikhailovich Vokuyev, Commissioner For Human Rights for the Komi Republic, who claimed that the album and song degraded disabled people. Specifically, they were offended by writing in the booklet (see below) and the lyrics to the song "Lyudi Invalidy".
t.A.T.u. expressed that they were not worried about being sued, and Katina added "Of course, we meant moral invalids, people who do not have soul and human feelings." When asked if they had anything against disabled people, she stated that she finds it offensive to refer to people by that term, and added "We take pictures together and make sure they have priority seats [at concerts]." No more news has been given about the lawsuit and it is assumed to have been dropped.

Booklet

Below is the text found in the album booklet that had caused controversy:

"...ЛЮДИ ИНВАЛИДЫ рождаются такими и такими умирают. Они не знают, что значит быть человеком. Они – подделка на основе человекообразной болванки. У них есть ноги, руки, другие части тела, внешне они неотличимы от людей. Но ЛЮДИ ИНВАЛИДЫ не живут, а функционируют. Их функции описываются законами механики и ещё четырьмя признаками: жестокость, глупость, жадность, подлость.* Любая их деятельность эффективна, предсказуема, тускла и разрушительна. Все плохие, очень плохие и ужасные события – результат деятельности ЛЮДЕЙ ИНВАЛИДОВ. Мы живем среди них и редко замечаем этот большой человеческий fake..."

...Disabled people are born that way and will die that way. They don't know what it means to be human. They are an imitation, based on an anthropoid template. They have legs, hands, and other parts of the body; they are physically indistinguishable from humans. But disabled people do not live—they merely function. Their functions are described by the laws of mechanics and by four traits: cruelty, stupidity, greed, meanness. All activity is effective, predictable, dim, and destructive. All bad, very bad, and horrible events are the result of the activities of disabled people. We live among them and rarely notice this big human fake...