I had to recheck my Island copy of TFTT. I was not aware of a solid pink label but mine is surrounded in pink and thought perhaps that was the reference. I decided I needed to see for myself if I was thinking wrong and I was, not knowing there was a solid pink label out there. I do have the sunray in pink outline but if you read on Steve Hoffman reviews of this, the early ones like I have are supposed to be the same as the solid pink copy. There was reference to the code in the wax, U2, I think which matched what I have. I just can't remember from one minute to the next so I may have that wrong. You can check Hoffman for yourself or maybe you have. I certainly believe you as your description has a rather amazing amount of details that I would think is known by a very small group. Interesting for sure.
I never had a problem with the A&M's as they were all that I had. If you have no better reference, they become the reference. There are differences even among them as one says dbx and that one got high praise at least from someone. I'll have to check and see what I can hear as differences among my own. I just always found the Island copy to be somewhat better than the A&M'a that I had for so many years before. If I have the wrong one, I can only imagine how good the solid pink one must be and I guess I have to throw my system out the window. :) Thanks for the info and no, I am not following it 100%. It would take me awhile to absorb it all.