TTF_RenderUTF8_LCD with no Background

Hi All,
I think I must be missing something in the documentation—is there a way to use TTF_RenderUTF8_LCD() with no background? I just want a transparent background. I’ve tried setting the background parameter to a color with an alpha value of 0 but I still get a background… I must have something setup wrong or am missing something. I’m basically trying to recreate TTF_RenderUTF8_Blended() but with better sub pixel rendering.
Thanks,
David